Discern and Perceive
by AnimeSiren
Summary: Cagalla Yula Athha was promised a tranquil winter vacation to get away from it all, in the quiet town of December City. However going to visit her friend Miriallia turns out to be much more than that as she discovers both her brother, and much more. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Discern and Perceive**

**Chapter One**

_Enjoy._

**X-_X-_X**

The pub was small, it was a homey place. The walls were a sturdy but old wood, and the dusty table lamps lit the place with a honey glow. The bartender had a warm smile, and the smooth chatter of the patrons perpetuated the image of a comfortable atmosphere.

The door would open occasionally, sending a swirl of cold air around the place, and announce the entrance of someone's friend, neighbor, lover, or visitor. However, occasionally, the door opened to announce someone who wasn't part of the town's tight little community, someone who wasn't known or immediately embraced.

Just such a person made to enter the pub. After she struggled with the heavy door and its fight against the harsh outside air, she managed to swing it open, the sudden brightness of the indoors blinding her momentarily.

Those closest to the door turned to look at the newcomer, wondering if they knew her. When nobody did, some eyes stayed on her, but the young woman didn't notice that at all. The chatter, which had dimmed just in the slightest, returned to its full volume.

The woman took off heavy woolen gloves, stuffing them in her jacket quickly, and rubbed her hands together once, then twice to circulate the warmth in them again. She glanced quickly around the pub, not recognizing the person she was looking for at first glance. Her warm amber eyes returned to the task at hand when she reached up to remove her matching hat, sighing when she shook out her bright gold hair, the snow already melting from the pub's warmth.

"Wouldn't ever be this cold in Orb," she grumbled under her breath. She shifted under the uncomfortable feel of her travels outdoor melting on her. She stuffed her hat in her other pocket and then sighed, looking around her again. "Where is she?"

X-_X-_X

"Oh come on!" a long tanned arm snapped a bottle down onto the table, ignoring the loud clink it produced, and the glares of the other patrons from the tables to either side of them.

The bottle spun across the table, upending an identical bottle into the lap of another man, silver haired. The man jumped, avoiding a majority of the foaming liquid that spewed towards him, but not quite all of it. "Dearka!" the man barked angrily "You fool!"

The entire table paused, the majority of them holding their breath for a further reaction, however the tanned man, now identified as Dearka simply glanced at the silver haired man, grinned at the mess visible in his lap, and continued his earlier point.

"You have to have a bachelor party," Dearka's voice was nearly a whine, his violet eyes looked imploring at the brunette he was speaking to. "It's a sacred tradition."

"Sacred my ass," snarled the silver haired man, he upended the napkin holder when he yanked a fistful of napkins out of it, sopping up his spilled drink.

"Settle down, Yzak," Dearka waved a hand lazily in the air, not even bothering to glance over, he kept his eyes on his quarry "C'mon, Kira."

Yzak fumed at Dearka's attitude, silently vowing that he'd get his vengeance on him. Maybe when he was writhing in agony he'd deign to look at him.

Kira muffled a laugh, eyeing the look on Yzak's face, and answered Dearka with a barely straight face. "I'm really content without one," he said sincerely, he wrapped his arm around the shoulders of the pretty pink haired woman sitting next to him in the round booth "I just want to be married already."

Dearka rolled his eyes, sitting back down "Such a downer, man."

"Leave Kira alone," chided another man. He had dark blue hair, and the facial features of a born aristocrat, but he had a relaxed smile on his face. "When you finally decide to get married _you_ can have a bachelor party."

"Likely," snorted Dearka "Marriage is for the faint of heart," he glanced at Kira "No offense."

Yzak bit his tongue before he accidentally agreed with the blonde buffoon.

"None taken," chuckled Kira back, the pink haired woman laughed at his side.

"Athrun," Dearka continued "Don't you think you're doing your best man duties a little too well? You don't need to defend the institution of lunacy and lace."

The blue haired man, Athrun, opened his mouth to retort, but Yzak shot out a sneered statement before he could.

"Maybe Yamato or someone should simply let it slip to Miriallia how interested you seem to be in wedding plans lately," Yzak sat back, raising his brow in a movement that clearly indicated his smug satisfaction.

"Touché," Dearka grumbled, raising his empty glass at the passing waitress to indicate another round for the table.

Athrun turned to Kira, bypassing the tables banter in favor for actual conversation "You ready?" he asked, smiling kindly at both his longtime friend, and the man's fiancée, a woman he had known practically his entire life.

"Of course," Kira said immediately.

Lacus smiled, setting the fruity drink in her hands onto the table. "Kira and I have been waiting so long."

Athrun's smile waned somewhat. The couple had faced many obstacles in the path of their relationship. Mainly problems with Lacus' aunt, a woman that had handled Lacus' inheritance ever since her father, Sigel Clyne, had passed, and a problem with Kira, when his own father had fallen ill the previous spring.

Athrun thought a winter wedding suited them though, they'd be newlyweds in spring, fitting for both of the optimists that he sometimes couldn't always understand.

"Miri!" exclaimed Dearka suddenly, his eyes rising to a point above Yzak's head.

Yzak snorted, not looking up at Dearka as he eyed the sticky film that was drying on his portion of the table "That's right, put the fear of a woman in you."

Dearka shook his head "No, you idiot." He stood up, bumping into the table and sloshing several drinks. He cuped his hands around his mouth "Miri!" he exclaimed loudly, trying to be heard above the cacophony of sound present in the bar.

A few minutes later a brunette found her way to the table. She had a fresh drink in her hand, and an annoyed look on her face, the product of wading through the overly filled building. "Dearka," she said by way of greeting, sounding surprised.

Dearka immediately slid over, bumping into Yzak and making room for his girlfriend in the booth. His face no longer wore the lackadaisical look that had been present the rest of the night. He looked more serious. Miriallia sat down gratefully, sighing happily.

"I thought you couldn't come out tonight?" Dearka asked quickly, his brows knitting together "Didn't you have a chick thing?"

Miriallia rolled her eyes once "Very articulate of you," she ignored her boyfriend for another moment, greeting the others at the table.

Yzak couldn't help but grin, managing to hide it well, however. The woman his best friend had chosen to date was anything but the simpering sows that Dearka had always seemed to find before. She was stubborn, and had an impregnable self-will.

"I'm meeting a friend here," Miriallia finally turned to Dearka, raising an eyebrow in an almost challenging way "I didn't realize that this is where you guys would be."

"What friend are you meeting?" Dearka asked nosily, he had inquired earlier as well, but hadn't gotten a response.

"Anyone I know?" asked Lacus interestedly. She would of course, even if it wasn't a smaller town, everyone's circle of friends circulating with everyone else's, Lacus seemed to know a little something about everyone.

"No, actually," Miri replied. "She's a friend from school, but I don't think you ever met her when you went there, she was in my art classes."

Athrun looked at Miriallia interestedly. Miri, Lacus, and Kira had all attended the same university in the pacifist capitol of Orb. Yzak, Dearka, and he had attended a private college at the behest of their parents, but they had all travelled to visit Kira, and later Lacus and Miriallia as well. He wondered if he met her.

Miri answered her friends' typical question with her next statement "I don't think any of you ever met her, actually," she said thoughtfully. "I didn't meet you guys until junior year, and she studied abroad that year."

"Sure we didn't meet her senior year?" Dearka asked. He had spent a _lot _of time at Miriallia's school her senior year. It was about the time that Yzak started to mention how smitten he was.

Miriallia shook her head "She had some family issues—she took classes over that summer to finish up early."

Dearka nodded, losing interest in the subject, he supposed he'd meet Miriallia's friend when she got here at any rate.

"So," Miriallia grinned "Discussing Lacus' bachelorette party?"

Athrun laughed aloud, watching as both Kira and Lacus began to turn a light shade of pink.

"Ha," Dearka laughed to his girlfriend "Lacus isn't getting a bachelorette party until Kira gets a bachelor party."

"Kira doesn't want one!" Miriallia fought back, her words mock haughty "Doesn't mean Lacus doesn't."

"I don't!" Lacus hurried to protest, she gripped Kira's hand to stave off some of her embarrassment.

The waitress arrived, unloading a round of drinks on the table; Lacus declined a refill on her own fruity drink. Yzak raised his glass, pointing it at Dearka. "No idiocy with this one, thank you."

Miriallia turned her head questioningly to Dearka, but he just shook his head in quiet amusement, he'd relate the whole thing to her later.

The topic of the wedding was put to rest and the group reclined, relaxed.

The door to the bar opened a moment later, sending a chill across the room. Athrun pulled his shirt collar higher. It was going to be positively arctic when they made their way from the bar later. None of them turned to look towards the door, it had been opening and closing with the flow of customers all evening, and they weren't expecting anyone else.

Well, Miriallia was.

Dearka was whispering his weekend plans for he and Miriallia into her ear a few minutes later, when Miriallia's eyes wandered toward the bar briefly. She shot into a standing position so fast she nearly clipped Dearka's chin with her head.

The rest of the table stared at her, surprised by the sudden movement.

When Miriallia started waving an arm in the air, as if to get someone's attention Athrun murmured "Must be the friend she was waiting for." Kira nodded beside him.

"Cagalli!" Miriallia shouted, in the same fashion as Dearka had earlier. She tried again.

Kira furrowed his brows. The name was familiar, and there was an alarming sense that he was supposed to know exactly why it was familiar. The only one that noticed his mental predicament was Athrun, seated beside him. He looked at Kira curiously, but Kira didn't speak.

Miriallia moved from the table, sifting out through the crowd to go fetch whoever she had been trying to reach. The only people that didn't watch her hunt were Kira and Yzak.

After a few tough seconds of fighting through the crowd they saw Miriallia stop by the bar, and touch a blonde by the shoulder. The girl turned around, and the next second she and Miriallia embraced. Even by December City standards the blonde girl was bundled up excessively. She was obviously used to a warmer climate.

They exchanged words for a few minutes, and then Miriallia tugged on her arm, and they started to make their way back towards the booth. The blonde began to unbutton her coat. She turned back after a second, grabbing her drink off the bar and smiling at the bartender, who was also the bar owner. She rejoined Miriallia.

Athrun thought, as he watched her stumble through the crowd after Miriallia, that she was horribly…unrefined and clumsy. Athrun smiled, it was appealing.

"This is Cagalli!" Miriallia announced happily as she arrived at the table.

Cagalli nodded, somewhat uneasily, at the group gathered around the table. Miriallia had said that they would be by themselves Cagalli's first night in the new town. She was surprised when Miriallia had told her that her boyfriend and their other friends were there as well.

"That's an unusual name," Kira said, somewhat breathlessly. He smiled, trying to be polite; he knew it didn't reach his eyes.

Cagalli nodded and Miri grinned and said "She's got an unusual name from start to finish."

Cagalli smiled indulgently at Miriallia "Sorry," she said in a friendly tone "I should introduce myself properly. My name's Cagalli Yula Athha."

Kira felt his heart stop and his brain pause as well, before it started again, painfully, at double time. Athrun eyed his friend worriedly.

"This is Dearka Elsman," Miriallia continued.

"Bet you've heard all about me," Dearka smirked, giving Cagalli a two finger salute as a greeting.

"No, not at all actually," Cagalli quipped back, grinning fiercely.

Miriallia laughed outright at the expression on Dearka's face, continuing on. "Yzak Joule," he nodded once "Athrun Zala."

"Nice to meet you," Athrun said. Cagalli smiled back.

"Kira Yamato," Miriallia continued, Cagalli knew that she also named the pink haired woman on the end but Cagalli didn't hear her. All she heard was that name. Kira Yamato. _Kira Yamato_.

Cagalli turned suddenly, wrenching herself away from the table. Miriallia let out a startled gasp and immediately asked her what was wrong. Both Dearka and Athrun rose from the table, stunned and worried.

Yzak let his eyes focus on something else entirely though. Kira was looking at Cagalli with an expression that Yzak had never seen on the other man's face, even when he was at his lowest. He seemed lost, distraught, and very much confused.

Cagalli dropped her drink, spinning so that her back was facing the table. People around her turned and stared at her, but the only ones she was trying to hide from were the ones she had just been introduced to.

"_No!_" she thought fiercely to herself, clenching her chest.

"Cagalli," Miriallia said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. Cagalli started, looking over her shoulder into Miriallia's face.

"Miss. Cagalli?" the pink haired woman, whose name she hadn't caught, stood and approached her from the other side. The women formed an odd semi-circle, their backs to the guys. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry," said Cagalli suddenly, turning around and laughing awkwardly. "Dropped my glass and it startled me."

The people surrounding them had turned back to their own business, some of them still eyeing the group occasionally.

"You didn't actually drop your glass until you reacted," Yzak pointed out loftily, with cold logic.

Cagalli stared at him a moment, frowning. Finally she looked a Miriallia, and then turned to look at Kira Yamato.

"I know your name," she said softly, her voice rough.

Kira slid from the booth, rising to stand next to Lacus. "I know your name, too."

"You do?" Cagalli asked, beginning to shake nearly imperceptibly. She felt water well up in her eyes, but she fought back the emotion. She was unprepared for this, here, in the town that Miriallia invited her to relax in.

"What's going on?" asked Athrun, his arm was leveraged on the table as if he were about to make a move to rise as well.

"I'm pretty sure," Kira said, his purple eyes turning to look at his friends, his voice uncertain "That this is my sister."

"What?" several voices demanded at once.

"My brother," Cagalli muttered. She looked lost.

X-_X-_X

_Ulen and Via Hibiki rushed to the hospital on a rainy night, lit vaguely by a full moon that couldn't push its way fully past the cloud cover._

_They arrived at the hospital, they went through registration, and then the pain and the labor increased. Via never let go of her husband's hand, and even when she was sedated to maintain a stable blood pressure, her hand remained in his._

_He stayed by her bed all throughout the pregnancy, they were alone with the nurses and the doctor, neither one having any living family. They had only each other. While Via was in pain Ulen only thought of the love that he had for her, and that he had for the twins her body was struggling to give birth to._

"_Isn't there anything you can do for her?" Ulen had demanded of the doctor._

_He had been told many times that there was nothing more they could do for the pain, they told him it was the natural pain that every birth mother experienced._

_Ulen didn't believe it, especially when he saw the blood._

_The medical personnel had been fighting Via's blood pressure, and attempting to maintain her heart rate. Ulen watched all their eyes darken when Via began to bleed from her placenta._

_The doctor was the best in all of Orb, that's why they had him. However Ulen was a scientist and even he knew that there were some things that medicine couldn't cure. There were some things that he was useless to prevent._

_He watched his wife slowly pass into the other world. _

_The nurses hurried to do the doctor's bidding, avoiding looking into the sobbing husband's eyes. Still, Ulen did not release her hand._

_The doctor had shouted for him to be removed, that they needed to prep a surgical operating room that he could still save the babies. Ulen didn't hear his words though, and eventually, when they removed him forcibly from Via, they had to sedate his explosive grief._

_When he woke up he had two perfectly healthy babies. A boy and a girl. His wife was gone, but his children lived. They tried to comfort him, tried to show him that all was not lost._

_He had left the hospital, leaving two babies in the nursery._

_Later, after the hospital had been unable to reach Ulen, and the children had been declared abandoned an officer phoned the attending physician._

_Ulen had died by his own hand, and had gone to join his wife._

_The children were put up for adoption, the boy with his mother's caring eyes, and the girl with her father's warm ones._

_They were adopted by separate families, raised by separate families, and lived as separate families._

_There was only one time when they came close to contact. The girl learned of her adoption, and had attempted to find her twin. The only response she and her family had received was an order of restraint. They were not to contact the boy's family._

_However the damage had been done._

_They knew each other's names._

_They knew each other._

**X-_X-_X**

_**There is no way I should be starting another story right now, however this cam unbidden and out of the blue today. I have a million other projects to work on, ones that I've actually planned for, and this is naturally what happens to me! Lol**_

_**I do hope that any that read enjoyed reading. I hope to hear from you. If anything was confusing, many things will be explained in future chapters, however don't be afraid to drop me a line.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own no part of the characters or related items.**_

_**Thanks!  
**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Discern and Perceive**

**Chapter Two**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"Are you sure you don't want some coffee, Cagalli?" Milly asked, carefully setting her own mug down and then flopping down onto the floor next to Cagalli.

"Hot chocolate's fine," Cagalli said evenly. Milly's fireplace was small, but they both fit in front of it, sitting on a dusty throw rug. Cagalli hazarded a look at her best friend, the flames casting silly shadows across both their faces.

"Are you happy here, Milly?"

Miriallia looked up in surprise, her lips poised on her coffee mug. "Of course I am."

Cagalli nodded, leaning her back against the bottom of Miriallia's faded two person couch. They'd come back from the bar right away, and as soon as they'd walked through the door Miriallia had tried to distract Cagalli by showing her to the guest room and Cagalli had tried to do the same by claiming that she was tired.

Eventually they'd both simply ended up in the kitchen, Milly making Hot Chocolate and Coffee. Now they were seated on Milly's living room floor, the easy silence that had always existed between them murky at best.

Milly had shaken off the odd question, taking a moment to truly look at her friend. Cagalli's amber eyes were barely visible in the dim light of the room, but the taut way that her lips were pressed said enough. Cagalli had always been expressive, and if she wanted silence for once then Milly would give it to her.

Miriallia forced a mock exasperated tone to her voice "Honestly, you're a chocoholic."

Cagalli had the good grace to smile faintly, but all she did was take a long sip of the sweet drink and steel her nerves before opening her mouth to say "You know, you can just ask me."

"Ask you what?"

Cagalli rolled her eyes "That is too clichéd, Milly."

The statement caused Milly to laugh, and after a moment her tone sobered "I know, but Cagalli we really don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…I saw how much whatever this is must affect you."

Cagalli's mouth only grew grimmer "I can't believe I reacted the way I did, dropping my glass like that. I must be a fool."

Milly rushed to say otherwise "Of course you aren't, and they're good guys they'll under—,"

Cagalli laughed. "You're a great friend, Milly."

Milly let a breath out and smiled, and then bumped her shoulder in to Cagalli's. "You're being especially soulful tonight."

Cagalli waved a hand through the air, grinning at Milly "I don't know what you mean."

Milly just hummed, took another deep draw on her mug, and leaned her head back until it plunked against her couch cushion. She still had a lot to do after Cagalli went to bed. She had to upload photos to a client, had to book time in the development studio, had to write back to a potential client, had to remind Dearka about his doctor's appointment (and ensure that he went), she had to go to the final dress fitting with Lacus tomorrow…

"Hey," Cagalli broke in suddenly, bringing Miriallia out of her swirling sea of thoughts. Milly lifted her head up "Yeah?"

"So I was adopted," began Cagalli, she quickly tipped her mug back, drinking the rest of its contents and licking her tongue against her bottom lip.

Milly nodded, she had already known that.

"Well," Cagalli continued "Here's the deal—Kira's my brother, we were born twins and we got separated when we were adopted."

Milly's eyes widened "You're twins? But you two look nothing alike."

Cagalli huffed and rolled her eyes again "C'mon Milly, you know that doesn't matter."

Milly relented, but continued her questions nonetheless. Cagalli had been right—Milly had wanted to ask questions, she'd wanted to ask from the minute they had left the bar and drove home, Cagalli pretending not to swipe at her eyes every now and then.

"How did you two find out about one another?"

Here Miriallia saw Cagalli's eyes turn glassy, and her friends glanced away quickly, never the one to be caught vulnerable.

"I filed a claim," Cagalli said slowly, the words coming out in even increments "I wanted to see my brother after my father finally told me…it was the year my mom died."

Miriallia felt a chill take its way down her back, ridiculous with them sitting in front of the fire. However Milly remembered the time period when Cagalli lost her mother, and how it had ripped her apart, into pieces. She nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"The family, the Yamato's, refused. They got their lawyer involved, said I couldn't contact them."

"I still don't understand," Milly said softly "Did your father tell you Kira's name then? Did he know who he was?"

"He knew I had a brother," Cagalli murmured "Kira's name was on the official form of restraint, they had to put it there to say who I couldn't approach. Kira found out my name too."

Milly scooted closer so that she could lay an arm on Cagalli's back, the thick wool of her sweater forming a solid pressure between them. "How are you feeling Cagalli?"

Cagalli gritted her teeth, her throat constricting "I was just caught off guard…Milly—I was so surprised. I didn't know…"

Cagalli trailed off and Miriallia saw two trails of tears begin to form in the firelight.

"Oh, Cagalli," Milly said breathless. She leaned forward, putting their heads together. It took a lot to make her strong friend's emotions bubble over into tears. Milly had only seen it once before, and she knew how much it cost her normally brassy friend.

Cagalli squeezed her eyes shut, willing her tears to dry away. "It's no big deal, Mil, really."

Milly just squeezed Cagalli tighter "It's okay," Milly's soft and accepting words made it that much harder on Cagalli, and fresh sobs began to rack her body. Cagalli was grateful for the darkness that the outside night provided and the shadows that the fire encouraged.

"Shh," Miriallia soothed, keeping their heads together and not letting Cagalli pull away as she knew her friend was want to "It's going to be fine, you'll see."

Cagalli just shook her head, acquiescing to Milly's hold. People always were able to say those types of phrases when they were comforting people, but did they really believe them? Cagalli squeezed her eyes tighter.

X-_X-_X

"Dude, that's just surreal," Dearka's voice was overbearing in the quiet serenity of morning in the corner coffee shop. "You need to go on one of those day time talk shows."

Athrun was watching his oldest friend with concern after what he had told them that morning. They'd all met, barely after dawn, and Kira had relented to a pestering barrage of questions on Dearka's part and told them the whole tale behind the woman from the previous night.

Though, while Athrun's focus was on his best friend he didn't miss the arch of Yzak's impatient brow, or the glare he sent the violet eyed man.

"Give it a rest, Dearka," he scowled, carefully enunciating each word "No one wants to listen to your prattle this early in the morning."

Dearka grinned and raised his hands up into the air in a placating gesture "I'm just saying."

Athrun leaned the small glass top table to lay a hand on his best friend's shoulder "Are you okay?"

Kira shrugged, Athrun's hand lifting, and just made an uncertain gesture "I'm fine."

Yzak had just finished stirring creamer into his coffee and he waved the spoon at Kira, a few drops escaping to splash onto the table. Dearka mimicked his movements with a scone. "You can't let her get to you Yamato, if she's come here to ruin you—,"

"Who says she's come here to ruin me?" Kira startled out, his eyes wide, he turned to Athrun and in turn Athrun looked at Yzak, leveling his stare and rolling his eyes.

"Don't listen to the psychoanalyst, Kira," Athrun said calmly, much more calmly than he felt. He was on edge finding out something about his friend that the brunette hadn't ever confided in him. "She was just as surprised to see you as you were to see her. Look at how fast she left; she didn't even say anything to you."

"She took Milly with her too," Dearka grumbled. He moodily broke his scone apart and took a bite of the filling.

"Dearka," barked Yzak. Athrun sighed, wanting to just put his head in his hands; a serious conversation could never occur with those two around. He will never understand how they had spent four years as roommates in college, and still managed to room in their current apartment together without killing each other.

"Yes, Yzak darling?" Dearka rolled her eyes over to look at the silver haired boy, lazily, and smugly, grinning at him.

"Don't address me like that!" Yzak spluttered, he balled his napkin up and pointed a threatening finger across the table. Both Kira and Athrun followed the trail of the finger, from opposite sides, to Dearka's grinning visage. "You have to be more serious."

"How am I not being serious?" argued Dearka, not without the petulant tone of a child "Kira's got a long lost twin, who happens to be Milly's friend, and who happens to have escaped all of our notice for years. I told you: Day time talk show."

"Which I'm beginning to think you watch too much of, sitting at home every day," Athrun muttered under his breath. He sighed into his coffee, still not feeling awake enough for this discussion, and turned back to looking at Kira.

His friend was looking a little green around the edges.

"Least you have a hot sister," Dearka shrugged, he said this without meeting Kira's eyes and he turned in his seat, looking around the small place, and found his gaze on the pastry display case.

Kira made a noise of protest, his already frazzled nerves coming more unspun.

"Dearka!" It was Athrun who barked the name out this time.

"Oh my God, what?" demanded Dearka, turning back to the table, his expression disbelieving. "Between you and Yzak you could make my name into your own duet."

"You can't just call my sister hot," Kira said, his voice slightly high pitched and the words coming out strangled.

"What?" Protested Dearka, blinking. "You've met her in person for a grand total of what? Fifteen minutes, max?"

"That's not the point," Kira said loudly, however he didn't continue. He didn't seem to know what he wanted to say.

"Show some restraint, Dearka," Athrun said, exasperated, out of the corner of his mouth.

"Besides," Yzak said, somewhat gleefully "Don't you have a girlfriend, hm?"

Athrun shook his head, honestly not knowing which one of them was worse. They were awake at the crack of dawn, with a friend who was having a potential nervous breakdown, and this is how they carried on?

"Milly's hotter," Dearka said simply, and then he slid his gaze over to Kira "No offense, man."

Yzak put his head in one hand, using his other hand to illustrate his point "You don't apologize for telling the man that his fraternal _twin_ is hot, yet you apologize for saying that she's not _as_ hot as _your _girlfriend?"

"Did I stutter?"

Athrun was grateful when the waitress appeared at his shoulder. Dearka latched onto the opportunity to order a coffee cake, and he and Yzak had their coffees refilled. Athrun was glad to see that Kira kept his cup half empty. This occasion didn't warrant an excess of caffeine.

Yzak watched Athrun struggle to figure out what to say, the man too worried about being subtle to Kira, and just went ahead and said the point for him. "Yamato—are you going to be alright with this? Or are you going to have a coronary?"

Kira shook his head, unable to stop the small smile. His silver haired friend was a piece of work.

Kira did have to think for a moment, he had relied on his friend's reactions to tell him how he should deal with this. It was Dearka's nonchalant attitude that seemed the most relieving to him. Kira eyed Athrun, knowing he was the one that was most concerned, and took a deep breath "It's a shock," he admitted "But I think it's going to be fine."

Athrun nodded "What do you want to do about it?"

"I think we're going to need to talk," Kira picked up his own spoon, making melancholy circles in his cup.

Dearka caught Yzak's eye and mouthed 'No shit.' Athrun restrained the urge to childishly kick him under the table, it probably wouldn't be that covert, and he'd probably end up hitting Kira.

"Hey, she seems nice," Athrun said instead "And she's Miriallia's friend, so you know that she can't be too bad."

"Yeah," Kira said, brightening some and forming one of his slow but sincere smiles "Thanks guys."

"Anytime," Dearka replied immediately "But next time we meet this early I charge you by the minute."

Kira laughed, but Athrun ignored it and Yzak's sure fire response. He got somewhat lost in his own thoughts. He didn't want whatever this was going to turn into to interfere with his friend's wedding. Both Kira and Lacus had been waiting for a long time to be happy. He would do whatever it took to help them with that.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the other three men go quiet, or the woman who was standing at his back until she spoke.

"Hello," Athrun wouldn't readily forget his best friend's twin sister's voice, but he noticed that it seemed subdued, and for a moment was startled by the ridiculous notion that he didn't like the way it sounded, saddened like it was.

"Cagalli," Kira said, standing "I mean…Miss. Attha, I'm surprised to see you."

Athrun turned and looked up just in time to see Cagalli flinch slightly "Cagalli's fine."

Athrun raised an eyebrow, if that hadn't sounded blunt and demanding he wouldn't know what would. That was more of the attitude of the girl he had been introduced to before.

"Cagalli then," Kira said, his voice going soft. His facial expression was seemingly polite, but Athrun, and Yzak and Dearka too, were able to that he still retained his nervousness behind it. Anyone would, really.

"I was wondering if we could talk for a minute?"

"Sure!" Kira said quickly, he hurriedly came around the table, accidentally knocking an elbow into the back of Dearka's head as he passed.

Athrun didn't keep his eyes on his friend and his friend's twin, turning them politely back to the table. However he did hear what they said in the next few seconds.

"I promised Milly I'd bring back bagels," behind Athrun Cagalli motioned awkwardly to the display case and register.

"Oh, sure," Kira smiled, glancing back at the table briefly before turning to lead Cagalli over to the counter.

Cagalli was surprised when he took hold of her elbow to help lead her through the early crowd gathered around the few tables in the small shop. She didn't think that he even noticed he was doing it.

"I was thinking that we could talk later," Kira said, only turning his head enough so that his voice carried over his shoulder. He was too anxious to really look at her.

"That's what I wanted to ask you," Cagalli said, she frowned a little at the way he was acting, quenching down the small quell of unreasonable frustration "I know you're busy this morning…"

"We could talk now, if you want," Kira said, turning as they reached the counter. There was one other person ahead of them in line. He rubbed the back of his head with an uneasy hand.

"Later's fine," said Cagalli shortly.

"I know it must have been a surprise, meeting me all of a sudden, I know it sure was for me…"

Cagalli furrowed a brow "Of course it was a surprise," she admitted "I never expected to find you here of all places."

"Yeah," Kira agreed with a nervous laugh. After the woman in front of them began ordering a custom cake for pick up later the two of them fell into an uneasy silence, and Kira quickly hurried to fill it. "So, how've you been?"

Kira regretted the words as soon as they'd left his mouth, finding them more awkward than the silence. Cagalli saw him flinch.

"I've been well," Cagalli tried to manage the statement. All the uncertainty between them reached a peak however, and Cagalli finally let it boil over. She dropped all the polite pretenses, and spoke to Kira in a normal tone, with her normal words.

"No I haven't," she said, belying her previous words. "I've been over stressed, I have a list of responsibilities a mile long, and I'm between jobs. I came to December City to get away from it all."

The lady in front of them left, and Cagalli turned, her amber eyes avoiding Kira, to order with the girl behind the counter "A plain bagel, and a sesame one please."

Cagalli didn't turn once the girl left to complete her order, she felt an unfamiliar embarrassment steel across her cheeks, and began to feel vulnerable in the presence of this man that she only knew as absent brother.

Kira began to laugh behind her.

Cagalli turned, her amber eyes locking on Kira, weary. However Kira was standing there quite openly laughing. He didn't seem to be ridiculing her; he just seemed to be _laughing_.

"What the heck are you laughing at?" Cagalli asked, stunned. A hand went onto her hip and her stance slipped into a defensive one.

"You're quite forward aren't you?" Kira asked, not waiting for an answer "The way you just answered me when I asked how you were, it's," he paused "refreshing."

Cagalli honestly wasn't sure what to respond to that sort of statement, so she sort of nodded and kept standing there.

"Cagalli," Kira said "I really want to know you."

"You do?" Cagalli was taken aback "What about all that stuff with the order of restraint when I tried to get in touch in college?"

"That was my parents," he said, his tone was gentle "They were scared about what it would mean for our family."

Cagalli still didn't seem to take his word for it.

Kira cast all other thoughts aside and looked at her determined, his purple eyes flashing with seriousness that he didn't usually present. He put his hands on either of her arms. "I used to dream as a kid about the family I could have somewhere, Cagalli. Trust me when I say, yes I was astonished at meeting you, but I do want to know you."

The girl came back, sliding a paper bag across the counter to Cagalli, and wordlessly collected the bills that Cagalli handed her. "Thanks," Cagalli said askance to the girl. She turned back to Kira.

"Well, I have to go."

"Okay," Kira sighed "You still want to see each other later though, right?"

Cagalli nodded.

"Meet me in the park in the center of town," Kira suggested "Around four."

"Yeah," Cagalli said, she turned to walk away, noticing that back at Kira's table a pair of leaf green eyes starred back at her "I'll see you later, Kira."

Kira watched her walk away.

"Can I help you sir?" the girl behind the counter leaned forward, an unimpressed look on her face at his loitering. She pointed to the man lined up behind him. Kira quickly excused himself.

When Kira sat back down at the table he chuckled once, letting a large smile bloom across his face. He had felt nervous, but when looking at her, _really_ looking at her, explaining to her what he felt, it all evaporated. Surely, that was his sister.

Athrun hummed, pushing his cup and saucer away from himself, and tried not to be unhappy at his friend's sudden contentment.

X-_X-_X

Cagalli supposed that she should be happy that the wind wasn't making the day unnecessarily blustery; however she still couldn't keep herself from grumbling about the freezing weather as she trudged through the sloshy snow that covered every part of the December City park walkways.

It was a few minutes before four, and it was already nearly dark out. Cagalli paused in her effort, her muscles burning from the amount of energy it took to go through the snow mounds in her heavy boots, and thought about what she could be doing in Orb if she were there now.

It would be warm. She could be on her terrace at home, overlooking the sea. She could be smelling the sea salt on the breeze, and listening to the noises of the market in the early morning. Envisioning these delights made her weary of her current goal for a moment, however once she thought of Orb she thought of the trials and responsibilities that were awaiting her there as well.

Slowly Cagalli began to make her way further into the small park. She's take a long lost mystery over her other thoughts any day.

Cagalli's boot dug deep into the snow, but it shifted beneath her and she let out a small gasp before managing to right herself properly. "No good comes out of this weather," she muttered.

When Cagalli straightened she loosed her scarf to peer out further into the park, looking for Kira. There weren't many people around. A couple of children were hurrying along the outside of the park, probably taking a shortcut from school; the only other figure was sitting on a bench, underneath a barren tree.

It was Kira.

Without intending to do so Cagalli began to make her way more quietly, she was intent on the back of the brunette in front of her. He was hunched over, his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands.

Cagalli felt her face tighten with an emotion akin to hurt the closer she approached him. Could he be this upset at the prospect of having to meet with her?

Cagalli raised her hand to her mouth to cough, an easy way of announcing her presence, but before she could do so Kira turned, and deep violet eyes turned their attention to her.

Kira's previously passive face broke into a welcoming smile "Cagalli," he said, sounding relieved "I'm glad you came."

"You are?" asked Cagalli, she blinked once. Watching their breath in the cold air she sidestepped Kira, wiping snow of the bench so that she could sit next to him. Her thigh length winter jacket still wasn't enough to protect her from the cold that ensued.

"Of course," Kira gave a nervous chuckle.

"Well," Cagalli pursed her lips "I'm glad I came too."

"Good."

"I'm surprised you were early," she said awkwardly.

"Yeah," he agreed "One of Lacus' bridesmaids wasn't able to make it to the fitting so it ran short."

Cagalli was fishing for something to say when Kira's face unexpectedly hardened and Cagalli was taken aback by the expression on his face. He beat his hands against his arms a few times and tightened his scarf.

"Sorry," Kira said, wincing "I'm still not used to the harsh winters here."

Cagalli couldn't do anything other than nod. She felt relieved that that expression hadn't been angled at her. She'd only seen nervousness, surprise, anxiousness, and a few other emotions on the face of a man she could only assume was light spirited most of the time. She'd hate to see the type of experience that could bring that hard of a look out on his face.

Kira turned to her, smiling "You're probably not used to it either," he said, rubbing the back of his snow-capped head "Coming all the way up from Orb."

"Yeah," agreed Cagalli, she wrinkled her nose "There's too much snow, its overkill. It makes me miss Orb even more."

Kira nodded "Days like this here make me miss Orb too."

Cagalli blinked. She'd forgotten that this man, her brother, had lived in Orb as well.

"What made you want to move here?" Cagalli asked. She tightened her glove clad hands together. They'd come here to talk, so she'd make a move to learn more about this man.

Kira's eyes smiled at her but he made a hesitating nose "I guess just because my fiancée is from here, and many of my friends that I met are from here as well. It's peaceful here too."

"Your fiancée seems nice," Cagalli ventured, moving their conversation onto another topic, she didn't want to be stuck in silence. His fiancée had seemed nice enough, in an odd, bubbly way. Cagalli wondered if she were the type of person that would get along with her.

"Oh she's great," Kira's voice dipped in an almost lethargic way, deepening in tone. His eyes softened "She's the smartest and kindest person I've honestly ever met."

"Bright hair."

Kira laughed "That's true."

Before Cagalli could continue down her nervous string of questions Kira turned it onto her. "What do you do back in Orb?"

"I was a vice-minister for the interior," she said, not noticing Kira's shocked expression at the privileged position. Cagalli shrugged her shoulders "But it didn't work out."

"Why?"

"Guess I wasn't conservative enough for them," Cagalli made a sour face "Or in their opinion 'loud-mouthed and unorthodox'. Now there's an overpaid undereducated moron in my place."

Kira gave her a small, sincere smile "I'm sure you were good at your job, Cagalli."

She stared at Kira for a moment, her shrewd eyes trying to figure out if he were being serious. "Thanks Kira."

"No problem."

Cagalli had to agree that this city was peaceful. She wasn't feeling nearly as stressed next to this man as she thought she was going to be. However there was something they needed to discuss.

"Look, Kira," she started, her eyes looking away from his. She struggled with the words for a moment "I know you're getting married and all, so I'll understand if you want me to keep away for a while."

"What?" Kira's voice rose "No!"

Cagalli was taken aback by his protest.

"I mean," Kira said, backpedaling "I meant it when I said I wanted to get to know you."

"I'm glad we met now, this means I get to have my sister at my wedding," he paused, as if considering something for the first time "You'll come, won't you?"

"Sure," said Cagalli slowly, not really certain if she did want to agree to it "When is this thing anyway?"

"Next Saturday," Kira said proudly "Eight days."

Cagalli took a deep breath, looking at the snow, down at her hands and at the cloud strewn sky before she sighed. "I would love to come to your wedding, Kira," she laid a hand on his, a feeling that she wasn't wholly comfortable with "It'll be nice."

Kira smiled, and Cagalli felt odd at the look he was giving her. It seemed as if she had given him a present of some sort. She was unused to this sort of emotion, she felt as though she needed to make herself scarce, or attack this head on, and yet he seemed to have already accepted it, and in a positive way.

Cagalli stood "Well," she said "You're an odd guy Kira."

"Er, what?" Kira deadpanned. He didn't think he had acted weird "I promise I'm normal."

Cagalli laughed as he stood "It's a good thing I promise. If it wasn't, trust me, I'd let you know."

Kira nervously laughed with her, still not entirely understanding. "So," he ventured "Want to meet Lacus and me for lunch tomorrow?"

Cagalli nodded "Sure."

"Well," Kira said, giving an awkward jolt with his hands "I'll see you tomorrow then. Requiem, the café on the corner of second, around one?"

"Sounds great," Cagalli tried to be upbeat before attempting to turn and make her way away, not quite up for the usual awkward good bye. She was stopped though, by the most surprising feeling of having arms encircle her body.

"I'm glad, Cagalli," Kira whispered. Cagalli felt her eyes go wide, her head pressed into Kira's shoulder "I really am."

As quick as the arms had come they were gone and Kira was making his way quickly through the snow in the opposite direction, throwing up a hand to wave at her. Cagalli sighed, trying not to feel as susceptible to her emotions as they wanted to be, and started off.

"I _know_ I'm going to slip before I can get out of this death trap."

**X-_X-_X**

_**Thanks for reading the second chapter. I'm feeling more and more excited about this story. I'm trying to stick really close to character personalities, and focus more on not just how their perceived by fanfiction readers but real examples of how they act in the anime as well.**_

_**I want to thank everyone who read the first chapter when it came out, I can say I was honestly touched at the response that it received!**_

_**AnimeSiren**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Discern and Perceive**

**Chapter Three**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

Cagalli unwound her scarf hurriedly, her eyes looking quickly over the heads of the modest crowd. She had been late finding Requiem, the café she was to meet Kira and Lacus at. She cursed her luck, but she straightened her back and prepared herself to make it through the lunch on her will and nerves alone.

Cagalli's hands stilled. Her eyes swept first left then right, and then they repeated the move. After a moment Cagalli let her hands hang limply at her sides.

The café was nice, though certainly not what she had expected. There were motley groups scattered around in colorful splotches, eating lunch and talking. There were a group of teens in the corner to the right, laughing raucously, and what appeared to be an elderly society in the corner to the left, smiling kindly to one another.

Then there were all the other customers scattered in between the two, reveling in the heat of the indoors, their escape from the snow that plagued them outside.

Except for Kira and Lacus.

Cagalli pursed her lips and looked again. Then she frowned and looked left to right yet again.

No Kira and no pink haired fiancée present.

Cagalli dropped her amber gaze to the menus piled to the right of the hostess stand. _Requiem_ was italicized in large letters. She wasn't lost; she wasn't in the wrong place. So why weren't her brother and his subliminal fiancée there like he had promised? Cagalli was only a few moments late, they couldn't have already left.

"Something I can help a little lady with?"

Cagalli furrowed her brows and took a breath before turning and returning a greeting to the man that was obviously talking to her. His tone sounded modestly polite, but she could already tell that he must be some sort of frivolous joker as well.

"I'm fine…" Cagalli had begun to reply curtly, but she felt her words trail of at the same time that her brief moment of frustration and anger waned. The man that had spoken to her looked like something else, _that_ was for sure.

The man may have been a grizzly bear in his past life for all the similarities his appearance made come to mind. He had deep brown hair, messy, a couple days' worth of unshaven stubble, and a pearlesque scar running over his left eye. Cagalli noted that besides his worn black T-shirt and well-fitting jeans he had on a half apron, one that proclaimed the name of the small cafe proudly.

"You sure 'bout that, kid?" Cagalli may have been off put by the grin on his face, but it was friendlier rather than anything else. He didn't seem to be patronizing her she surmised.

"I'm supposed to be meeting someone here," she said, she ran her eyes up the man one more time, and then glanced involuntarily back into the café.

"Oh?" he said lazily, he leaned an elbow onto the hostess stand. A couple came through the door behind Cagalli, and as she moved to let them pass a younger girl came rushing forward to seat them, the man stayed in his lackadaisical pose.

"They stand you up?"

"No," Cagalli said ostensibly. She crossed her arms, and met the gaze of the man with her own. He was acting a bit _too_ casually for Cagalli's peace of mind.

After a moment the man let out a bark of laughter and shrugged his shoulders.

Cagalli looked down, rolling her eyes to herself. She began to retie her scarf and only spared the man in front of her one more offhand question. "Has a guy named Kira been in? Kira Yamato, sort of short, brown hair?"

"I know Kira," he replied "And no. Haven't seen the brat in a few days now."

Cagalli had been relieved when he had admitted to knowing Kira, but felt exasperated again. "Damn," she muttered, and then louder "He hasn't left any messages or anything?"

"Nope," the man's nonchalant attitude was enough to rub Cagalli the wrong way, his lazy stance didn't help.

"You're sure?" asked Cagalli skeptically. She wouldn't put it past the guy in front of her to not be wholly true about the situation.

The brunette cocked his head and in one smooth move shoved off from the wooden stand. He took a couple steps before putting his hand out to Cagalli, a friendly demeanor apparent once more "The name's Andrew Waltfeld," he said "I own this place. I promise you that I haven't seen or heard from Kira since he came to double check that I was coming to his pretty little wedding."

Cagalli took the hand. "Cagalli Yula Attha," she muttered in return. More than a little embarrassed and disappointed she turned, trying not to let her frustrations best her. "Thanks."

She took the three steps to the door with enough grace to be grateful. Waltfeld's face was smiling in the doors reflection as she thrust it open and walked blearily out into the blinding light of the winter sun and snow.

Cagalli was thinking about what to do next, and how she should react when she walked right into the torso of Athrun Zala.

X-_X-_X

Cagalli took a quick moment to curse Haumea before she said "Sorry," sounding anything but.

Athrun was stunned when the fast paced women collided with him, and with more force than he'd anticipated. For a few stunned moments he tried to comprehend the feeling of her pressed up against him, and then he heard her speak and realized _exactly_ who the woman was.

Athrun let out a startled grunt and before he realized it he was pushing back from Kira's sister, an arm on each of her shoulders propelling her away from him.

"What?" Cagalli had time to exclaim just before she was forced to take a step back. Her heel landed on an ice patch and the next moment she was looking up at the bright sky from a completely horizontal position. A look of beleaguered shock on her face.

Athrun held his breath, refusing to exhale.

Cagalli slowly sat up onto her elbows, glaring at a few passerby's who were looking at the standing Athrun and the grounded Cagalli with judgmental curiosity. Finally, she looked at Athrun.

He exhaled.

"I'm so sorr—," he tried to say. He should have guessed that he wouldn't be allowed to finish the simple sentence.

"Who does that?" the blond demanded, very imperiously for someone who was still crumpled in a heap on the ground. "Do you have some sort of ingrained reaction that causes you to go absolutely psychotic when someone even jostles you?"

"I didn't mean to," Athrun said defensively "You startled me."

"_I_ startled _you_?" she bit back sarcastically.

"Sorry," Athrun hurried to day again, years of his mother's propriety lessons making their way to the forefront of his mind. He immediately reached a hand down, intent to help the amber eyed woman back onto her feet.

Cagalli glared at his extended hand, then at his face, before grunting and rising without his offered help. She patted the snow off her coat and reached into her left pocket for her gloves.

Athrun stood off to the side, uncomfortable and not sure of what he could say or do that could alleviate the tension of the situation, or inject some personal integrity back into it. He straightened his face when Cagalli looked back up at him, her gloves held in her hand.

"It's fine," she said shortly before sighing.

Athrun looked anywhere but her face, finally settling on her hand. As he watched her shoulders lower, hopefully the indicator of some anger leaving her, he spoke "Your hand's bleeding."

Cagalli wasn't expecting another statement out of the other man but when he did speak, his tone placatingly apologetic, she glanced down at her hand in surprise. He was right, just below her pinky was a small cut.

"Hm," she said more to herself than to him "You're right."

"You must have cut it on the ice when you fell," Athrun deduced softly, reaching out to grab her hand for a closer look before he fully thought about it.

"Like I couldn't figure that out for myself," Cagalli took her hand back, leveling the taller man a nonplussed look.

Athrun raised an eyebrow, letting any preconceived empathy leak from his face. "Well," he said for lack of anything better "There's a pharmacy around the corner. You can get a bandage for your hand."

Cagalli weighed the idea of refuting the man's advice on principle, but decided against it. Her gloves were white, and it was both cold out and another six blocks back to Miriallia's apartment building.

Cagalli nodded to the man (him still standing a little too strait, looking unsure of the situation) but before she could turn to head in the other direction, down the block and around the corner to the pharmacy, something clicked decidedly into place.

"Hey," she exclaimed softly "You're Kira's friend."

If she had paused to look directly into his face she would have seen his eyes more clearly and sooner, she didn't forget the imperious leaf green eyes that she saw in the café bakery just yesterday.

"Yeah," he said, he felt himself relax some "Athrun Zala, we met at Mwu's pub the other night, too."

"Oh," Cagalli said "Well, it's nice to meet you…again."

Athrun didn't question the turn in her attitude, just accepted it freely, he grinned slightly at the hanging statement "It's nice to meet you again as well, Ms. Attha."

"Cagalli's fine."

Cagalli watched Athrun smile in return and decided that it was time she bid her leave. "Bye," she said shortly, turning.

After a few short paces the crunch of boots in snow made her realize that he was keeping pace with her. She raised her gaze from the path in front of her and quirked an eyebrow at Athrun, "What are you doing?"

Athrun's lips were quirked in amusement, and they stayed that way when he noticed her deadpanned tone. "I was heading to the pharmacy," he explained "I have to get some vitamins."

"Mm," Cagalli responded noncommittally. She turned her eyes back to the sidewalk and felt heat steal itself across her cheeks, unbidden.

Athrun's quirked lips turned into a small smirk as she quickened her pace slightly, after a moment's thought he did so as well, easily keeping pace with the smaller blond.

The game continued for the better part of the next two minutes until they reached the pharmacy's stoop. The pharmacy was on the first floor of an older brick building; Athrun's mother's training made itself known again and he leaned past Cagalli to hook a hand on the door and pull it open for her.

"Thanks," Cagalli mumbled, her tone seemed unimpressed.

Athrun grinned.

Belaying the image of the outside storefront, the inside was the same as any modern pharmacy, except that it seemed smaller. Only four aisles and the aging pharmacist, smiling at them from the back of the store, made up the interior.

Cagalli returned the friendly smile, the one that she'd noticed all people of December City seemed equipped with, and made her was towards the aisle nearest her. Athrun followed at a sedate pace.

All along the right side of the aisle were small bottles of vitamins, and Athrun couldn't keep his somewhat smug grin off his face when Cagalli realized it. She rolled her eyes at him in return.

He grabbed one of the containers close to him, and asked Cagalli in a teasing tone "Maybe this one's right for you."

Cagalli eyed the bottle of B-12 with far less amusement than Athrun. She saw his teasing expression and turned to eye the shelves, feeling her own mischievousness peak.

"Oh look," she said, her voice a mocking bell of innocence "Vitamin E: for sexual health, this must be the one you were coming for."

Athrun felt his jaw drop and at the look of triumph that skittered across her face he couldn't stop the laugh that surfaced from his mouth either. After a moment she let out a small laugh of her own and placed the container back on the shelf. She rolled her eyes again, this time in amusement, and walked further down the aisle.

Athrun grabbed a bottle from his right, hardly having to look at it to know it was the right one before he hurried down the aisle after the blond. He grinned, his eyes bright.

"Hey, Cagalli," he called quietly "Let me show you where the band aids are."

A few moments later Cagalli punched Athrun 'lightly' in the arm, and then snorted. "No," she said firmly, shoving the box back on the shelf.

She picked up another box "See?" she said, holding the regular box of band aids right at the tip of his nose. "Ones without cartoons work better for adults," at this she pointed to herself.

Athrun grinned, pushing the box away from his face "So boring, though."

Cagalli gave a lopsided grin back "But oh, so more effective."

They were still trading barbs, in a surprisingly comfortable manner, when they reached the checkout counter, the old pharmacist the only one there to help them. Cagalli hooked a foot around Athrun's ankle, and as he stumbled into the counter he had nothing but a smile to offer the older man, who shook his head in return, amused.

Athrun grabbed the band aids out of Cagalli's hand before she could protest, tossing them next to his bottle of vitamins. He produced his wallet and waved away her complaints.

"Quicker," he said by way of explanation.

Cagalli frowned some and just shook her head, reaching a hand out to pick up a magazine, already uninterested in the celebrity gossip of the cover.

"You know, my boy," the old pharmacist was saying as he rang up the two items, he was holding Athrun's vitamin bottle, the name 'Melatonin' easy to see "If you're still having trouble sleeping you can have your doctor prescr—,"

"That's alright," Athrun said, cutting him off as quickly as he could. He glanced over at Cagalli and her curious expression and felt some of the genial mood of the past few minutes evaporate. "It's fine, Mr. Neider."

Cagalli replaced the magazine, and followed Athrun out of the store in silence. She was contemplating the renewed stoicism he projected when he turned. He opened the box of band aids and smiled wanly at her. In a few quick movements he had her small wound bandaged.

Cagalli was painfully aware that Athrun was still holding her hand within his own, though she thought he might not be as aware. She hesitantly smiled back and said "Alright Zala, thanks, but if you offer to kiss and make it better we're going to have some words."

He chuckled, releasing her hand. He put his own in his pockets and looked around the street of the small town.

"So," he said, already forgetting Mr. Neider "Had lunch yet?"

X-_X-_X

"Oh come on," Dearka's said between kisses, attempting to catch his breath with every word "You already said that she'd be gone this afternoon."

"Dearka," Miri tried to be stern, but her heavy breathing very obviously cost her that game. "She could come back."

"So?" his voice was mumbled, his lips too preoccupied with sending butterfly kisses down Miriallia's neck "Yzak would throw a fit if we were at my place."

Milly tried, earnestly, to argue back "Well, with that trust fund you'd think you'd have your own place, now wouldn't you? Then worrying about this would hardly be necessary."

A couch pillow went careening onto the floor before Dearka replied "Never used to be a problem," he grinned "_You_ had your own place. Our perfect little love shack."

"Moron," Miri mumbled, even so she still helped Dearka tug his shirt over his head, belying all her protests. She supposed this made her an enabler.

Their lips found each other's again and Milly had to tear herself backwards before all sense of decency left her. "Bedroom, Dearka," she said, her voice roughened "I think we can at least go to the bedroom."

"Fine with me," he sat back a little, breathing just as hard as she was, he tried to wag his eyebrows, laughing at his own failure as he said "Perfect, actually."

Milly shrieked with laughter as Dearka tried to pick her up from the couch, bridal style, sending them both tumbling off it and onto the floor, Dearka nearly having an intimate meeting with the fireplace poker. They dissolved into chuckles and kisses; so much so that the first time the tentative knock sounded on the door they missed it.

Dearka picked his head up when he heard it the second time.

"Damn," he said, he looked back down at Milly, trying to be pleading "Don't answer it."

"I have to," Milly tried to compose herself as she stumbled onto her feet and off the floor, Dearka climbing back up onto the couch "Put a shirt on!" she hissed over her shoulder.

They were both unprepared for who was at the door.

"Kira?" Dearka asked incredulously over the back of the couch before Miri even had time to greet the brunette.

"Oh," Kira's face flamed with color "Sorry!"

Miriallia gave Dearka a warning look before turning and smiling sweetly at Kira "It's no problem, Kira. Something you need?"

"I was, uh," he coughed and looked back at Milly, ignoring his blond friend (and his shirtless torso) "I was looking for Cagalli."

"Huh?" Milly felt her attention shift into place as a serious frown stole its way onto her face "She was supposed to be with you."

"Something happened," Kira said "I didn't make it to Andy's."

Miri took time to study Kira, noting his harrowed appearance. "What happened, Kira?" she asked, concerned.

"Fllay backed out of the wedding," he admitted back "Lacus is all torn up, and I think it's my fault."

Dearka dropped his grin from where he was on the couch, scooping up his T-shirt. Fllay had been a sore subject for nearly all their friends, but Kira more so. They had dated for several years, ultimately, after many melodramatic moments, Fllay had dumped Kira. However Fllay was a friend of Lacus, and more than a couple of them were surprised when she turned out to be a bridesmaid as well.

"Why?" asked Miriallia, she wasn't concerned about over stepping her boundaries. Dearka joined her at the door, running a hand through his strewn about hair.

"I wasn't there…" Kira trailed off for a moment "Apparently Fllay said some things to Lacus. She was crying when she came home."

Miri and Dearka exchanged a look, Kira's discretion said even more than his words. "Is Lacus okay?" Miri asked tentatively.

"I don't know," Kira's expressive eyes looked downcast for a moment. "Anyway…Lacus and I missed lunch with Cagalli, and I wanted to apologize to her."

"Oh," Milly said softly. In the back of her mind she felt some curiosity break through the haze of concern for her friend. If Kira and Lacus missed lunch why wasn't Cagalli back to the apartment already? "I'm sorry, Kira, she's still out."

Kira nodded, looking all the more defeated. "Let her know I stopped by?"

"Of course," Milly responded, nodding compassionately "I'm sure she won't mind."

After a few more moments of forced conversation Kira turned to duck back down the hall. He kept seeing Lacus' tear-stained face in his mind, and he felt their happily ever after fading further away from them.

"Hey," Dearka said in an undertone, his girlfriend looked up at him, her soft brown eyes connecting with his amethyst ones, concern mirrored in both "I'm going to see if Kira wants a ride home, okay?"

"That sounds good," Miri admitted, she stepped back so that Dearka could grab his coat of the hook "I hope he's going to be okay."

Dearka smiled, cupping her chin briefly "Kira's a resilient romanticist if I've ever seen one," he assured her "I'll call you later."

Milly watched both their backs disappear down the hall and then shut her door noiselessly. She turned to where her phone sat on a small stand, determining she'd better check on Lacus. As she picked up the receiver she wondered for the last time where Cagalli was spending the afternoon.

**X-_X-_X**

_**I'm trying to focus on this story, so hopefully there will be pretty consistent updates. The major ideas and sub-plots should become apparent pretty soon. Thank you to everyone that read, and if you have a comment or idea don't hesitate to review.**_

_**Thanks,**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Discern and Perceive**

**Chapter Four**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

Dearka stepped back into his apartment with the feeling of stepping into a sultry haze of garlic. He was amazed that his and Yzak's shared apartment could be taken over so completely within the few minutes it had taken him to buy two bottles of mediocre wine from the only liquor store in town.

Though, on second thought, whenever he came home he always half expected Yzak to have lain out explosive mines or bear traps for him. So, seriously, garlic wasn't all that bad.

His presence went unnoticed by his friends, a heated argument taking place in the kitchen was sufficiently distracting them from his arrival. Dearka smirked to himself. He casually took off his knit scarf (the stunning blue and orange product of three months of knitting lessons that Miriallia had taken and since abandoned), and didn't notice when his hand paused to pat the ever present lump in his jacket's right pocket.

When Dearka set the wine bottles on the only piece of uncovered counter top he had to visibly restrain himself from commenting on Yzak and the sauce pan that he was threateningly brandishing at Kira. Oil was dripping from the inside of the pan and onto the linoleum. Dearka sighed.

And _he_ was supposedly the incorrigible one?

"I think you're still barred from using the kitchen, Kira," Athrun put a chip in his mouth and grinned at his best friend "Ever since that fried chicken accident with Sai."

Kira blushed and rubbed the back of his head, stuttering a minute before saying "It was an accident I swear. Sai didn't read the oil direction right…"

Dearka raised an eyebrow, remembering the incident (and resulting kitchen fire) all too well. The local fire emergency unit no longer had a tolerance for three a.m. grease fires where five mostly drunk men attempt to put them out. "Alright boys and girls the wine has arrived."

Yzak let the sauce pan drop with a clatter on the kitchen counter, and roughly grabbed the bottle of red from Dearka's outstretched hand. He glanced at the label and then sniffed in disapproval, leveling an unimpressed stare at Dearka.

Dearka only shrugged "Really, darling, your appreciation is overwhelming."

Yzak visibly stilled in reaching for the wine glasses, turning on Dearka as Athrun barked a shot of laughter "Elsman! What have I told you about using those obnoxious names with me? Have you no shame—?"

"No," Dearka replied boredly, reaching past Yzak to grab the wine glasses by their necks "I've never had shame, I don't have any shame, nor will I ever have shame. How disappointing for our future together, huh?"

Athrun cleared his throat hurriedly, turning to rustle through Dearka and Yzak's kitchen drawers for a cork screw. "I think I'll finish the cooking for the night."

"Probably for the best," agreed Kira. Kira wasn't certain that the two feet that separated Yzak and Dearka would be enough to save the blonde's life. Kira was certain that the day that Dearka finally goaded Yzak into a blind, murderous rage would come at some point. Hopefully not before his wedding.

Athrun handed the cork screw off to Dearka and then turned to make some sort of order out of the produce and materials that lined the counter. Athrun had little knowledge of the organic food that Yzak normally stocked. Yzak and Dearka shared an apartment closer to the neighboring Janus City where Yzak was pursuing a post-doctoral degree in psychiatry. Yzak's obsessive compulsive health ideals and Dearka's laziness combined to make the health food store less than a block from their apartment the main shopping choice of the men.

Dearka deposited a filled glass next to Athrun's elbow and turned to wink conspiratorially at Kira as he handed him another.

Athrun's back was just beginning to relax from the stress when Yzak popped "So, Yamato, the wedding still on?" out a few moments after he finally lit the stove burners.

Kira chocked and spluttered instantly "Of course, Yzak!" He looked wildly around at the two other boys "Do you think Lacus is going to call it off? Oh, Haumea, this is my fault, isn't it?"

Athrun rolled his eyes, glaring at Yzak's smug expression. "Of course Lacus isn't going to call the wedding off, Kira. She loves you."

"Way to be the romantic, Athrun," Dearka muttered from the side. He and Yzak shared a rare glance of agreement. "Way to betray your man bits."

"I don't know…" Kira trailed off pathetically. Athrun shot Dearka a dirty look.

Athrun turned, still keeping one eye on the precariously bubbling concoction atop the stop, and he attempted to reassure his best friend. "Lacus is beyond level headed, Kira, this won't shake her for long, it'll be fine."

Athrun felt bad for the amount of anxiety that his best friend had had to go through for this wedding. Dearka picked up the thread of conversation.

"Besides, everyone will be feeling loads better after your bachelor party."

Kira gave a pitying sigh and Athrun grinned slightly. He turned back the stove and took a generous gulp of his wine. For cheap wine it wasn't too bad. He pondered for a moment and then sloshed some into the pot he was standing guard over. He'd seen chefs do that on television, so it couldn't be that horrible of an idea.

"Cagalli's looking forward to coming to the wedding," Athrun threw over his shoulder. He thought the idea would make Kira feel better.

Kira almost nodded without realizing just what Athrun had said. "Wait," he said, furrowing his eyebrows together "When did you talk to Cagalli? I haven't even been able to talk to her today."

Athrun felt heat rise up the back of his neck; heat totally unrelated to the cooking he was attempting to accomplish. He took a quick drink of his wine instead of answering immediately.

"We had a late lunch."

"What?" Kira exclaimed loudly, barely managing to keep his wine glass up straight. He pushed away from the counter he was leaning on in a fumbling motion. "You've had lunch with my sister? I haven't even had lunch with my sister!"

Athrun coughed lightly in embarrassment. He didn't understand why he suddenly felt as anxious as he did. He looked at Dearka for help, which was a mistake, and then looked quickly towards Yzak when he realized that the silver haired man was studying him with a speculative expression.

"We, uh, ran into each other in town today." Athrun turned to stir the boiling pot. He hurriedly moved to the right and began slicing vegetables, refusing to look at any of the other guys.

Kira, looking all the while as if he were recovering from a heart palpitation, settled back against the counter. He widened his eyes at Dearka, remembering Milly telling them this evening that Cagalli had been gone all afternoon. Had she been with Athrun all that time? And if so, then why?

"Positively diabolical, Zala," Yzak snorted from behind his own glass of wine. Dearka nodded over Yzak's shoulder as if in approval.

"Shut it, Yzak," Athrun hissed before Kira could get any more worked up. He tried to find something, anything, to say to change the conversation.

"Do you want me to put the cauliflower in too?"

"Lame," Yzak sighed out. He shook his head in amusement at Athrun's actions.

"Uhh, no?" Dearka replied to Athrun's halfhearted subject change "Who the hell even bought it? Dude, who eats cauliflower?"

Athrun almost sighed audibly in relief when Yzak launched into a health conscious rebuttal. His and Dearka's voices rose above any other sounds.

Athrun felt some of the heat dim from his cheeks; but felt it rise again when he noticed that Kira was staring at him. His best friend was watching him with a completely calm expression, as if he were waiting for a sign of some sort.

Athrun finished his glass in one quick gulp. He took two quick steps over to the other counter, reaching for more wine and breaking Yzak's and Dearka's argument up as he did.

Kira continued to watch.

X-_X-_X

Cagalli tried to ignore how the back of her jeans were slowly continuing to dampen the longer she sat on her bench. She shifted uncomfortably and just sighed, leaning back against the brick wall behind the bench. Cagalli put a hand to her head, trying to brush some of the snow from her hair.

Cagalli's third morning had gone much the same as her previous two mornings in December City. Besides it snowing lightly every morning, Cagalli had once again awoken with her mind tangled in a knot of nerves. Also, like every other morning, she pushed aside frantic fantasies of just running away (though to where she had no idea, she was already running from problems back home) and not dealing with her situation.

When Cagalli had stumbled, still half asleep, into Milly's kitchen she found a green post it note stuck to the refrigerator door. Putting off foraging in Milly's adequately stocked refrigerator for the moment she had squinted blearily at the writing, making it out after a few moments.

_Cagalli,_

_Went to scout out a new location—Kira called, left his cell number._

_Call him!_

_-Mir._

Cagalli had anxiously rehearsed her hello moments before Kira answered, and then blushed when she realized that she shouldn't be so nervous. He'd asked her to meet him on a specific corner of the very same park they'd met at the other day. Cagalli had agreed.

Now here she was, cold, and sitting on a bench across the street from the park, right where Kira had left her. He'd run, near frantically, to the delicatessen across the street when she'd mentioned wanting a hot chocolate. He was intent on proving that he could provide her with one.

Cagalli sighed again. Kira really did seem like a great guy. Nervous at times, and a pushover at others, (Cagalli grinned, Kira had laughed at himself when he had admitted that he was) but in general Cagalli thought she'd consider Kira a 'good guy'.

Suddenly Cagalli realized a brief memory was being triggered from the recesses of her mind.

"_Kira's great," Athrun had smiled at her. He seemed genuine. They had been sitting in _Requiem_ for a few minutes before Cagalli nervously brought up her new found brother. Her fingernails went 'tap tap tap' as she fidgeted in her seat._

"_That's—uh, that's good," Cagalli had replied, not nearly as reassured as she wanted to appear._

"_Don't worry, Cagalli," the man had leaned across the table, a simple grin on his face. Cagalli had leaned back some, almost unaware of the heat rising to her cheeks. "Kira's nice, and dedicated. He's loyal too, and honorable to a fault."_

_Cagalli coughed and looked away._

"_He doesn't have your 'winning' personality though," Cagalli thought the gentle tease had slipped out of Athrun's mouth before he realized it, though, because the next moment his lips had parted in surprise._

"_Hm," Cagalli had hummed in retaliation, leaning back and crossing her arms "I can't decide whether to call you a smartass or a kissass."_

_Athrun's minor shock evaporated and his mouth opened wide to let out a bark of laughter. His eyes locked with Cagalli's own and she had to look away from the sincerity that shone there. She caught Andrew Waltfeld's eye wandering towards their table as she looked over Athrun's shoulder. She hurriedly grabbed up the trendy menu that sat in front of her._

"_So, do they have kebabs in this joint?" Cagalli had exclaimed quickly "Or am I really in the middle of nowhere?"_

"Here, Cagalli."

"Thanks, Kira," Cagalli smiled up at her twin. She may not recognize herself in his face, but she traced the lines of his cheekbones anyway; looking for some hint of familiarity. She figured it would come eventually.

Kira turned and sat next to her. His eyes scouted the quiet street and Cagalli figured the contented sigh he let out the next moment was a happy reflex of his. "So," Cagalli started, her tone was nonchalant "How's the wedding coming?"

"It's coming," Kira replied ruefully "Which I guess I should be grateful for that alone."

Cagalli blew a piece of hair out of her eyes and glanced at Kira's grim set jaw. She took a long draw of her drink in lieu of replying immediately.

"So, where are you headed for the honeymoon?"

Kira was suitably distracted by the question. Cagalli was slightly awed by the happiness that flushed his cheeks next. "I'm taking her Orb, actually. I want her to spend some time with my family. We're going to look for shells along the beaches."

Cagalli didn't comment on his goofy grin as he said the last part.

"You two seem really great, Kira." Cagalli made a gesture of salute with her hot chocolate cup.

"Uh, thanks," Kira replied to the compliment, not having expected it.

Cagalli hid a smirk behind the rim of her cup. Athrun had been right; Kira really _is_ a good guy. The man practically radiated morality.

"Athrun's pretty interesting."

The sentence really didn't slip out without her realizing, but Cagalli really hadn't anticipated saying what she was thinking aloud. She didn't take the comment back but she did shift her eyes further away from Kira's.

"He's always been there for me." Kira smiled, he leaned forward bracing himself with his hands on his knees. "Doesn't like to see people get hurt, goes out of his way for others; he's always been looking to be the best kind of person he can be."

Cagalli hummed "Sounds like a boy scout," she murmured.

Kira grinned conspiratorially "Well, he was."

Cagalli cracked a wicked smirk and threw her arm around Kira, dislodging some snow from his jacket. "You and I are going to get along great, Yamato."

Kira's answering smile probably beat out the partially hidden sun in terms of luminosity.

"I have to pick up a bridal book at the library," Kira stood, checking his wristwatch "Want to walk with me before you head back to Mir's?"

"Sure," Cagalli agreed, standing. She finished her drink in a noisy slurp and tossed it in the trashcan behind Kira. Then she poked him in the chest.

"You're whipped, bad. A bridal book from the library? I mean; seriously?"

"It's important!"

"_Yeah_," Cagalli stressed, laughing gaily and following Kira down the street. "I'm sure. You're getting a bachelor's party at least right? I feel like we need to insert some masculinity into this wedding."

"You sound like Dearka," Kira replied mournfully; groaning.

"Sweet Haumea I hope not," Cagalli shot back "When he sleeps over at Milly's his snoring is enough to cave the walls in. Major nasal problems on that guy."

X-_X-_X

Cagalli was sitting on Miriallia's semi-hideous paisley couch when the owner of the apartment arrived home later that afternoon. Milly was carrying equipment and wearing a look that clearly denoted that assistance would have been lovely if her houseguest had deigned to get off the couch and help her.

Cagalli barely noticed her shut the door, even though it was shut harder than was strictly necessary.

"How was your scouting trip?" Cagalli managed to ask a few moments later.

Mir turned from where she was lowering her rechargeable battery case onto the kitchen table and stared, unblinkingly, at the back of the blonde's head. She set down the rest of her equipment and then walked around the couch. When she had Cagalli's full attention she then turned her eyes to the window and gave Cagalli a pointed look.

Cagalli hummed in thoughtful discontentment "When did the blizzard start?"

Milly, in a moment of rare aggravation, simply turned on her heel and rolled her eyes.

There were used pans in her sink, dirty clothes lining her bathroom floor, and hairspray marks on her bathroom mirror but after a few quiet moments to think Milly realized she couldn't be frustrated over these facts. Or the lackadaisical way her impromptu roommate appeared to be spending her vacation.

Instead Milly felt concern. She put her lens cap down and turned back to study her couch. Cagalli was sitting calmly enough, but her legs were bunched up in a way that reminded Miriallia of a child trying to hide. Cagalli's arms were hugged around her as well.

By the time Milly had uncorked a bottle of blush vintage and sat down next to the blonde her feelings had elevated from mild concern to full blown worry. Cagalli noticed the sudden stare.

"Don't look at me like that," Cagalli huffed. She untangled her legs and thumped them stubbornly on the ground.

Milly raised a carefully arched eyebrow. "Let's skip past the denial and move onto where you explain what's bothering you."

"I was all but forced to take a vacation, let go from my career, and was almost tricked into a relationship with a man who wanted to use my diplomatic leverage," Cagalli commented dryly "Why couldn't what's bothering me be about all that?"

Milly shrugged "All that pisses you off," she said "You're thinking about something that doesn't piss you off but instead bothers you."

Cagalli very calmly reached over and stole Milly's wine. After a hastily gulped mouthful she leveled Miriallia with an unreadable look.

"Miriallia," she began, her tone seemed to be looking to settle on nonchalant but was instead finding purchase in barely restrained aggravation "I'm going to ask you three simple questions. As my closest friend you are not allowed to ask in more detail about them afterwards, remember them, or shame me into telling you why I'm asking them. Got it?"

A grin found its way to Miriallia's face. "Oh, I got it alright."

Cagalli took a moment to empty the wine glass of its contents. "Athrun seems great, is he a good guy or is he some type of secreted nut case?"

Milly blinked owlishly "Athrun?" she asked, her tone one of honest surprise "Athrun Zala?"

Cagalli nodded the affirmative.

"Athrun's great," Milly stressed. "Why are you asking about Athrun?"

"Stick to the rules," Cagalli muttered back petulantly. "No asking about details remember?"

Milly's unimpressed stare in return urged Cagalli onto her second question, although she was losing confidence by the second.

"Does Athrun, yes Athrun Zala, currently have a person he sees regularly? Or irregularly for that matter. In a romantic setting?"

Milly stood and let out a surprised squeal all in the same moment. Cagalli tossed her head against the back of the couch and muttered "I knew I should have kept my mouth shut."

"You like Athrun?" Milly gestured out the window as if she were able to gesture at Athrun himself.

"Look. I'm not sure I like anyone. I shouldn't be liking anyone with the situation I'm in."

"Then why the questions?" Milly demanded. Her attempt at stern was fallible; the lewd half grin (that she had learned from Dearka) made 'stern' impossible.

Cagalli sighed. Her frustration came of as less angered and more unsure. "I don't know."

"Woah, Cagalli," Milly blinked, feeling guilty for not having the foresight to react differently. "You shouldn't feel bad about feeling anything for anyone. And, you can't let what happened in Orb get to you. People wanted you in a relationship for the wrong reasons; you don't owe that man anything."

"I don't _know_ if I feel any specific way," Cagalli replied. She felt a moment of appreciation for her friend's words. They calmed very specific fears that she had. "I just want to make sure that I have the situation under control.

The clock ticked on, the storm continued, and Milly slumped closer to Cagalli.

"Look," she said softly, her voice tender. She covered Cagalli's hand with her own. "You came here so that you could find a good way out of the maze that had become your life. Anything you feel or think on your stay here in December City is your own to feel. You can't let anybody else pressure that."

Cagalli's throat worked a few times. She looked away from Milly's probing gaze. "Thanks," she said, letting out a breath.

Milly smiled. After a moment, when the silence was creeping steadily closer to tension again, Cagalli half scoffed half growled and laid a hand over her face. "Way to make me feel like a loser."

Milly laughed. "Oh, Cagalli," she said. She grabbed the other girl into a friendly hug and smiled when Cagalli let out a chuckle of her own.

When they let go of one another Milly gave Cagalli a playful look and then began to ask "What was the third question—?"

A timid knock on the apartment's door, its peeling paint still shivering from the force, interrupted them.

"Lacus?" Mirriallia opened the door wide, her pink haired friend perched insecurely on the doormat.

"Mirriallia," Lacus began, her voice booming. The woman paused dramatically and then rushed out the end of her statement like a declaration "I have come to speak with Cagalli!"

Cagalli felt her right eye twitch. If she had expected some sort of over protective fiancée rant from her brother's soon-to-be wife then she expected it a couple days ago.

Lacus was invited it, served a glass of the blush wine, and seated on the horrid paisley couch next to Cagalli within moments.

When no one had spoken for a couple minutes Cagalli awkwardly swallowed and then asked deadpan "Something I can help you with Lacus?"

Lacus again drew in a deep breath (as if she were preparing herself) before she spoke.

"Cagalli! I insist that you be in my wedding."

"What?" Cagalli couldn't resist the high octave half shout that made its way out of her mind. Mirriallia's eyes went wide.

"If you really insist on rejecting me, then so be it," Lacus continued solemnly like her speech had been pre planned. "But know that I refuse to take any rejection except the most vicious."

Cagalli honestly wanted to poke the other girl just to see if she was being realistic. The look that she managed to exchange with Milly wasn't helpful, Milly appeared to be holding back her amusement, and not strongly enough.

"Er—Lacus, no offense," Cagalli began, and when forced to look right into Lacus' large blue orbs she repeated "Seriously—no offense. But, it's not like we've even had a single conversation yet while I've been here. I'm no expect but I don't think you invite minor acquaintances to be in your wedding."

"You are Kira's sister. Kira's _only_ sister." Lacus conveyed this with less energy than she had held in the rest of the conversation. She seemed to want to stress this fact. "You deserve to be there."

"I am going to be there," Cagalli insisted stubbornly "Kira invited me."

"I want you to stand with us," Lacus insisted "I want you to be part of our ceremony."

Cagalli sank back against the couch, not even trying to keep the disbelief off her face "I appreciate the offer Lacus, I really do. But, I can't be in your wedding. It wouldn't be right. Everyone would wonder why I thought that I could be up there. And the horror of the high heels alone—."

"You will be up there because you are Kira's sister, and you will soon be my sister as well."

Sweet freaking Haumea, Cagalli thought. This girl really wasn't any kind of pushover.

Lacus leaned even closer. "One of my bridesmaids, Fllay, backed out of the wedding today—,"

"Fllay backed out?" Milly exclaimed.

"—and really, you'd be doing me a favor to just even agree to fill in for her. You'd be doing Kira a favor."

Silence descended. Cagalli didn't know who Fllay was but Milly seemed to be taking the news rather hard. Who backed out on someone the week before their wedding?

Cagalli began to feel her resolve crumble. She never expected Kira's little slip of a fiancée to be so _damned_ determined to include her in their little family circle. It was an unfathomably high feeling of flattery.

"Sure," Cagalli croaked breathlessly "I mean yeah I'll do it. What the hell."

Lacus paused a moment, checking Cagalli's eyes for sincerity before literally launching herself into the blonde's arms.

Cagalli pretended to not feel a swell of tender tears when Lacus exclaimed to Miriallia "Milly, look at the sister I've managed to get myself!"

Cagalli attempted to awkwardly return the embrace before coughing and reaching away "Here, Lacus have another glass of the blush. I think I need one too."

_**X-_X-_X**_

_**Kudos to anyone who noticed that I've become obsessed with Inception and let it leak into this chapter.**_

_**I do apologize for it being late. Real life is a vicious bitch to fanfiction isn't it? I always apologize for how late my chapters are.**_

_**But truly, thank you for reading if you read, and thank you for any words or opinions (or even critiques) that you want to share. **_

_**Unitl the next chapter; Much love,**_

_**AnimeSiren**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Discern and Perceive **

**Chapter Five**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

Cagalli grinned triumphantly as she managed to hook her legs around the thick bough of the tree. She sat back for a moment, letting her back rest against the trunk of the tree. All of her hard work had paid off; she'd been training herself for days on how to reach the highest of the branches.

"Now for the nest," Cagalli said. Her prize was just a few feet further along the bough. A bright blue bird had been making its nest in the tree for weeks, and Cagalli knew that it had finally laid its eggs.

Suddenly Cagalli didn't feel right though, she felt torn. All of a sudden she couldn't feel the tree under her at all. She felt jagged. Misshapen. Not right. This was wrong. This was _wrong_.

Then she heard Kira's words.

"_I'd been trying to get up in that damn tree for days," he laughed, looking over at her. They were in line at the library. "I just wanted to look at the bird's eggs, honest."_

_Cagalli snickered "You just wanted to raise hell and do something you weren't supposed to be doing."_

_Kira__blushed__and__rubbed__a__hand__through__his__hair__ "__Well__—__I__mean,__that_was_a__plus__too,__I__suppose.__"_

Cagalli found herself walking as steadily as she could down the branch, and then crouching when she got closer to the nest. The parent bird had been gone, and Cagalli knew that she should be keeping an eye out for it the closer she got to the nest. But she just couldn't resist.

"_I mean, I was ten. Of course I thought this was an awesome adventure," Kira continued telling her the story. "I really should have been watching for the mom."_

"_Let me guess," Cagalli raised an eyebrow, and they moved up a couple places in line "As soon as you reached the nest the mother came out of nowhere."_

"_Yup," Kira said, he mimed a bird swooping down with his hand._

Cagalli yelped as she felt a stinging pain in her shoulder, and before she could stop herself she whipped her head around. She saw the mother bird circling around for a second attack just a moment before she realized that her moments had thrown her balance off. Soon she was tumbling from the branch, nothing to stop her.

She had the air knocked out of her as her hip crashed painfully into the branch just below the one she'd been crawling along on. It cart wheeled her sideways. She hit a second branch, and then a third.

Soon she was moments from meeting the ground. Cagalli opened her mouth to scream…

…and that's when she woke up.

Cagalli threw herself from the side of the bed and into a crumpled tangled of blankets on the floor. She took a deep breath and looked around wildly. She recognized her bedroom at Milly's, and the sound of the near constant storm of snow outside. Her heart was beating wildly.

Before her eyes could adjust to the dark one of the last bits of Kira's story filtered through her mind:

"_I broke my arm in two places," he grinned self-deprecatingly, shaking his head "It was the most painful thing I'd felt up until that point."_

There was barely any luminosity from the window, so Cagalli couldn't even make out the shadows of the room's furniture for a few minutes. Her glassy amber eyes eyed the room wearily. The dream she'd just had made her skin prickly. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

Cagalli untangled herself so that she could at least rise into a kneeling position. She could hear vaguely that it sounded as if Milly had left the television on in the main room, but she pushed the thought aside as she groped around on the night stand for her mobile.

Cagalli blinked against the unnatural glow of the cell phone screen. She licked her lips anticipatorily and quickly scrolled down her list of contacts. Her breathing still hadn't righted itself.

One ring, then two, and finally a third. By the fifth ring the voicemail had picked up "_Hi,__I__'__m__not__available__but__leave__your__number__and__a__brief__message__and__I__'__ll__be__sure__to__get__back__to__you__…_"

Cagalli hung up and dialed again. At the fourth ring this time a clink sounded to suggest someone picking up the phone. A moment later a tired, sleep roughened voice followed.

"Hello?" Kira's voice sounded weary. Cagalli supposed the polite thing would have been to wait until morning. But then again, Cagalli wasn't known for 'polite'.

"Kira," Cagalli said. Her voice cracked, and Cagalli had to cough away her own hesitation before she spoke again "Kira, it's Cagalli."

"What's wrong?" Kira sounded awake almost instantaneously. In the background Cagalli heard a sound that suggested Lacus had awoken as well.

Cagalli let out a started laugh "Sorry, Kira, God it's late isn't it?"

"Um, yeah."

Cagalli took the phone from her ear and pressed it to her chest, she let out a shaky sound; it was half a sob and half a laugh. She put the phone back to her ear.

"I felt it too, Kira," Kira's name came out in more of a low sob than anything else but Cagalli couldn't bring herself to feel ashamed of that. It was dark in her room, and there was no one to see or hear her besides Kira.

"Felt what, Cagalli?" Kira asked slowly. He sounded as if he were trying to gauge what level of panic he was supposed to be exhibiting. Cagalli wasted a second to hope that Kira didn't think she was drunk.

"The other day you told me about climbing that tree like an idiot when you were a kid," Cagalli was speaking low, almost a whisper "And I think I felt it too. When I was little, when I was ten, it hurt so bad I couldn't stop crying."

Kira's breath hitched over the line. An inquiry from Lacus was murmured somewhere in the background but Kira didn't answer her.

"I was in my playroom," Cagalli kept talking, she wished she could just show him the memory that she hadn't thought about until waking up from her bizarre dream "My arm hurt, but no one could see anything wrong with it. I cried, and cried and then finally my dad had a doctor come take a look at it. But there wasn't anything wrong with my arm, Kira."

Kira sounded oddly awed "They have studies about this stuff, Cagalli." He let out an excited laugh "Twins have these sorts of reactions all the time!"

Cagalli dropped her head back against her bed. She smiled out into the darkness. She hadn't been out of Orb one week and already her life was better than she could have hoped.

"Well," Cagalli said "If this isn't just as good as a blood test I don't know what is."

Kira laughed at the other end of the line. For a few more moments there was just silence on the line between them. Cagalli couldn't bring herself to say anything else; she didn't trust herself to not become emotional again. She heard Kira sink down onto some sort of armchair or couch, he let out a relaxed noised as he settled.

"You know, Cagalli, I'm really glad you came to December City."

Cagalli squeezed her mobile tighter "I am too, Kira. I really am, you have to believe me on that."

Kira sounded utterly content when he spoke again "Let's grab a couple of scones in the morning, at the corner café?"

"You're buying," Cagalli replied. Soon they had said their goodnights and then hung up. Slowly Cagalli climbed back up into her guest bed, wrapping her blankets back around her haphazardly.

To think, everyone in Orb had thought her trip to December City would be a bad idea.

X-_X-_X

This was Kira's fault. Definitely Kira's fault.

Cagalli looked from the pile of Lavender lace in Lacus' arms to the girl's wide eyes.

"You know," Cagalli said slowly "I forgot about the dress part of this equation when I agreed."

Lacus had the audacity to pout and widen her eyes imploringly at Cagalli, an expression that Cagalli was certain had many people wrapped around the pink haired girl's little finger. Cagalli sighed.

"I have to try that on?"

Lacus nodded, smiling sunnily "You're taller than Fllay, but that shouldn't be too big of a problem. The seamstresses here are excellent."

Cagalli didn't respond. She fixed the other girl with an unimpressed look and then awkwardly put out her arms to receive the bundle of fine fabrics. Cagalli wasn't even quite sure when the top of the dress ended and where it began, all she could see were laces and silks.

Miriallia took that moment to poke her head around the door to the Victorian looking dressing lounge. She blinked at Cagalli and Lacus for a moment before very pointedly saying "Well, Cagalli are you coming in to try on the dress or not?"

Cagalli gave both the girls a look of grudging acquiescence before turning on her heel and walking past Milly into the dressing lounge. Lacus' dress was hanging on a gold rack in the corner, already pressed and finely tuned for the big day. Cagalli looked down at the dress in her hands and fervently hoped that Fllay's dress didn't fit at all and that the seamstress wouldn't be able to do the changes in the five days before the wedding.

Though, she supposed that would put a damper on Lacus' day. Cagalli decided to forgo the guilt and hope anyway.

Cagalli chose the dressing room the farthest from the other girls and resolutely locked the door. She managed to wrestle the behemoth dress onto the hook set in the wall and then took a moment to stare at it.

"Well," she muttered to herself "Let's see if you can show this gown who the boss is."

X-_X-_X

Athrun snorted at Dearka's joke as he parked the car out front of the posh wedding boutique. "I don't think that's exactly why they use the word 'nuptials', Dearka."

Dearka turned around to counter but Yzak threw his door open and slammed it shut before he could speak. Yzak walked around the car as Athrun opened his door.

"Don't try to show him reason, Zala," Yzak sneered "The cave people have never been good with common sense."

Athrun grinned when Dearka pouted. He pulled his sunglasses up and rested them on the back of his head.

"Couldn't be bothered to help your girlfriend out of the car, Yzak?" a beautiful brunette was getting out of the back passenger side of the car, giving Yzak a purposefully haughty look.

Yzak raised an eyebrow and snorted "Last week, when I tried to pull out a chair for you, you told me to 'stop asserting my dominative male presence on you because we weren't in the days of Shakespeare anymore and you were a modern woman.'"

Shiho didn't even bat an eye "I see that you translate that statement into needing to participate in as ungentlemanly behavior as possible. Really, it's quaint."

Athrun really enjoyed the verbal evisceration that these two could do to each other, but Shiho was already late to the fitting so he decided to attempt to be the voice of reason. "Really, you two light up my day, but can we go inside already?"

"Watch it, Zala," Yzak said, poking the man in the chest as he walked past "It's your driving that made us late. Who suggested that you drive anyway? Never mind, it was probably Dearka."

Dearka shrugged and jogged around the car and towards the door of the shop. "Hey, Athrun's the one with the car. We might as well take advantage of it."

"You could afford a fleet of cars with that trust fund of yours," Athrun pointed out, following the group into the boutique.

"Hey," Dearka replied "I try to be an eco-friendly heir."

"Joining the Clyne party?" a woman appeared in front of them; dressed in business casual attire she wore a smile that oozed professional salesmanship. Athrun noted their assent and soon they were being led towards the back of the shop. He thought it was a rather daunting journey with racks of white wedding gowns forming a maze around them.

Dearka allowed himself a small smile as they walked, though. He reached a hand inside his jacket to pat the ever present square lump in his pocket. This place didn't seem all that bad.

X-_X-_X

Cagalli had barely managed to tug the gown up her hips when she heard more people enter the dressing room. From the voices she figured it was Kira's friends. Why they were here was beyond Cagalli, the shop didn't sell men's wear.

Cagalli turned to the mirror, trying to force the thin straps up and around her shoulders. Fllay hadn't only been a different height then her, it was apparent the girl was also seemingly on a hunger strike. Cagalli grunted, giving the dress a violent tug. She barely managed to stop herself from tripping backwards.

From outside came a light, male laughter and Cagalli let herself still. That was definitely Athrun. So, Dearka probably came for Milly, but why was Athrun here as well?

"Oh!" Milly's voice rose above the other's quiet conversation "Shiho it should look perfect, I'm sure you can just try it on quick. Cagalli's trying on Fllay's dress—oh, wait! You haven't met Cagalli yet have you? Well, I'm sure she'll be out in a minute."

Cagalli rolled her eyes, and then felt ridiculous for watching herself do it in the mirror. Though she realized the more she thought about the group that was standing scant yards the more a flush was settling on her cheeks.

"Cagalli," she whispered to herself "You are not to let yourself be deterred by the fact that Athrun and a whole bunch of strangers are standing out there. It's just a dress, facing the Security Council staffers was worse than this."

Cagalli slowly inched the door open, and then felt her face flush even deeper when she noticed that there were more people outside than expected. Most of them had their backs to Cagalli, and she tried to subtly get Miriallia's attention.

It didn't work.

A brown hair, violet eyed woman, with far more elegance than Cagalli could ever hope to have, noticed her first.

"Cagalli," she said, her voice soft and demure. The girl strode forward, the others turned. "I'm Shiho Hahnenfuss."

"Pleasure to meet you," Cagalli mumbled, all too aware that the back of her dress was still unzipped and she was holding a hand across her dress to make sure that nothing inappropriate happened.

"Fllay's dress looks better on you," Shiho said, eyeing Cagalli vertically. "She didn't have the chest for it," the girl tilted her head to the side, a coy smile on her face "Not that you have a problem in that area."

Cagalli couldn't believe that it was possible for her face to feel any hotter than it already was, but she was proved wrong. Cagalli couldn't even formulate a reply to the girl so she remained silent and steadfastly attempted to look in absolutely any direction but Athrun's.

"Shiho's the last bridesmaid," Milly said, she crossed to Cagalli's side and rolled her eyes when Shiho wasn't looking. "Yzak's girlfriend."

Cagalli nodded. "Right, and I can get out of this dress when?"

Miriallia turned to zip her up and then shoved at Cagalli until she had her positioned where she wanted her in front of the mirror. Immediately, as if summoned, the seamstress appeared at Cagalli's side and began pinning things here and making notes on things to take out or in there.

Cagalli glared at Milly when the brunette turned to return to the other, leaving Cagalli alone in her fate.

"Ouch!" Cagalli jumped as a pin got too close to her thigh for comfort "You watch where you're pointing those things."

The seamstress ignored her. Cagalli sighed.

Athrun shifted his attention back onto his friends, reminding himself that it would look awkward if all he was doing was standing there and staring at his best friend's sister. Right, he reminded himself, this was his best friend's sassy, long lost sister. Clearly, she was out of bounds.

Shiho eyed her dress where it was hanging and then eyed the bossy seamstress who was contorting Cagalli into various positions. "The dress should fit fine; nothing's changed since the last fitting."

Milly shrugged "Mine hadn't."

Yzak, of course, rolled his eyes and scoffed "You are incapable at following anyone's direction but your own aren't you, woman? How are you certain nothing's changed."

Instead of getting angry Shiho gave him a very calm, very calculated look. "I'm certain."

Milly ignored them, she blew a piece of hair out of her face "Lacus was supposed to still be here, you don't suppose she's gone off somewhere still upset over Fllay do you?"

Dearka was fidgeting with the ties that were hanging loose on the back of her dress and didn't pause as he replied "If she is I'm sure that Kira's taking care of it."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want my fiancées ex-girlfriend to through a wrench into _my_wedding," Milly said, huffing frustrated "I can't believe Lacus even trusted her again. Wait, no, I can believe that Lacus trusted her. It's just like her."

Dearka's hands stilled, and instead of asking 'Thought much about your wedding have you?' he bribed his mouth into saying "And it would be just like you to have your wedding party in nervous fits," instead.

"You must not even be trying to insult me," Milly retorted. She leaned back into Dearka's chest, forcing his arms to settle around her waist. She turned her head to check how Cagalli was doing and smothered a laugh at the spectacle. Turning her attention back to her boyfriend she noticed that Athrun's eyes were following a path very much similar to her own.

"Looking for anything in particular, Athrun?" Dearka asked smugly. Yzak and Shiho stopped arguing and Miriallia failed to suppress a snort of amusement. Trust her boyfriend to follow her train of thought when it meant he got the chance to embarrass someone.

"No," Athrun's eyes narrowed.

Dearka gave him an exaggerated wink "Oh, so it's a secret is it?"

"Dearka," Athrun ground out the name, his voice dropping low.

"Don't worry, dude," Dearka shrugged his shoulders, still sporting a wicked smirk "You're among friends here."

"Some friends," Athrun retorted dryly.

"Lingerie," Shiho suddenly said aloud.

"What?" Dearka wasn't the only one startled with the shift in gears.

Shiho didn't reply. She took a step forward and tugged Miriallia's arm. "We're going to need specific lingerie for these dresses aren't we? We're here already, so we might as well take advantage and look."

"Um, okay?" Milly raised her eyebrow at Dearka, but he didn't seem to be returning her suspicion. In fact, he was grinning at her.

"I am totally on board with this plan."

Miriallia swatted him and the chest followed Shiho out of the room with a mutter that sounded an awful lot like "_Men!_"

Dearka followed quickly.

Shiho turned to look back in the room. She shot Athrun a look that clearly said he could thank her later.

Athrun sighed and wordlessly gestured his arms in a motion that was supposed to represent 'I don't know how this is my life anymore.'

"I'm going to make sure the idiot doesn't do something embarrassing with anything made of lace," Yzak stalked out of the room, apparently more concerned with protecting the shop's dignity from Dearka.

A small cough caused Athrun to start and turn around, making himself look far too shaken for his own tastes. Cagalli was looking at him pointedly. The seamstress was gathering her supplies and leaving the room. She gave the distinct impression that Cagalli had been more of a hassle then she was worth.

Athrun struggled for a moment, Cagalli standing and shifting her weight from foot to foot, and then the only word he managed to produce was "Hey."

"Hey," Cagalli replied, suddenly looking nearly as oddly uncomfortable as he felt. And really, did it have to be quite this heated inside the boutique? Athrun felt sweat prickle his neck.

Cagalli raised a hand and pointed to the back of her neck "Do you think you can unzip this for me? The seamstress did it up and I can't reach it on my own."

"Sure."

Cagalli turned, pulling her short hair aside, and Athrun braced his hands on her shoulders first. Feeling the heat of her skin startled him and it took him a moment to remember his hands were supposed to be on the dress, not the person wearing the dress. He pulled the metal zipper down, admittedly slower than was probably socially acceptable.

"Thanks," Cagalli said, turning back around to face him. Did Cagalli sound breathless? Athrun wondered.

They were standing much closer together now; Cagalli's nose was practically of a height with Athrun's chin. Athrun swallowed hard.

'This would be the time to casually bring up dinner, Zala,' Athrun told himself 'Just suggest it quickly, because really, what's dinner between friends?'

Cagalli found herself looking at the lips in her eyes sight, and then had to struggle to bring herself to drag her eyes to Athrun's own green ones. Looking from under her lashes Cagalli suddenly felt curiously….shy.

'Dinner,' Athrun was telling himself. He parting his lips to speak 'Just ask about dinner…'

"Do you want to come to the dancing class?"

_What_?

Athrun had to stop from asking himself that, even though he was the one that just spoke.

Cagalli seemed taken aback. "Dancing classes? For what?"

Athrun forced himself to back track "Uh, for the wedding. The wedding party that is, we started an evening class last week for the wedding dance."

"Dancing?" Cagalli furrowed her brow "Oh for the love of—am I going to be expected to dance at this thing?"

Athrun laughed "Well, 'this thing' is a wedding. You know, two people and holy matrimony and all that?"

Cagalli balled up a fist and punched him in the shoulder, lightly. "This is a coup to embarrass people publicly."

"So, what you mean to say is that you can't dance?"

"I never said that, Zala!" Cagalli crossed her arms. This action caused her unzipped dress to dip dangerously low in the front, not that Athrun was paying attention of course.

"So you just don't need classes, then?"

Cagalli made a low sound of disgust in the back of her throat "The class is probably a good idea," she admitted. "Who all are we talking?"

"The entire wedding party," Athrun said. He was painfully aware that neither of them had taken a step away from one another "Lacus and Kira, Milly and Dearka, Yzak and Shiho; though Yzak had to be bribed. And then me, and you too."

"Okay," Cagalli agreed "I suppose if others are going to be subjected as well."

"Be happy it isn't flamenco or swing," Athrun quipped. He angled his head downwards so that he was speaking more directly to her. Cagalli felt her stomach turn, and suddenly her lungs weren't sure weather air was supposed to be coming in or out.

"I'm going to wipe the floor with you," Cagalli finally managed, although it lacked any of the teasing bite she could have hoped for. She poked the blue haired man in the chest and no, her hand didn't linger. Definitely not.

"We'll see," Athrun grinned. He reached forward, as if he were companionably putting a hand on her shoulder. But he forgot just how warm her skin had felt, and his hand ended up lingering on the strap that was slipping down.

Then Yzak chose the moment to rap his knuckled on the door casing.

He smirked as the two standing in the middle of the room took several guilty steps back and stared at him in what could be amounted to as horror.

"We're ready to go," Yzak's voice was all too smug "And joy for us—Dearka's going with Miriallia."

Athrun coughed. Twice. "Yeah, okay," he fished his car keys from his pocket.

"I have to change," Cagalli bolted into one of the dressing rooms, her blush spreading down her neck.

"A wedding dance class," Yzak muttered to Athrun as he passed him in the doorway "How romantically brilliant of you, Zala."

Yzak only laughed when Athrun's shoulder shoved into his own.

**X-_X-_X**

_**This semester is busier than I even anticipated, and next semester is going to be around 22 or more credits. How depressing that RL can't just be fanfiction all the time? At any rate, I hope this chapter was up to par with expectations, especially with the lateness. I feel like this chapter is more 'immature' than the others. But the story needed to move along to the next segment, so this was the result.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed reading, please review and let me know your thoughts!  
**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Discern and Perceive**

**Chapter Six**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"I didn't think it was biologically possible to _actually_ have two left feet," Athrun groaned. He took a step back and Cagalli brought her feet back together to start the dance step again.

"Shut up," she returned "Shouldn't you be dancing with Milly anyway? Best Man and all? You seem to be shirking your duties."

"I wish," Athrun flinched when Cagalli dug her nails into his hand and shoulder in retaliation "You don't have to dance with who you'll be dancing with at the wedding. I was partnering up with Fllay before."

Cagalli grunted acknowledgement and looked downwards so she could watch her steps. After barely a quarter of an hour into the lesson the instructor had separated Cagalli and Athrun from the group some, presumably to prevent mass injuries.

As it turns out Athrun was right; Cagalli can't dance.

A lively waltz was bouncing from speaker to speaker. The dance instructor, a harried looking ex-Ballerina, was counting out steps and calling commands to the couples from her spot by the wall of mirrors. Kira and Lacus had been delighted that Cagalli had decided to come, but Cagalli had spent the entirety of Monday questioning Miriallia about what the dance entailed. Turns out it's not just the grip and sway type of dancing she could get away with in ORB.

"So Fllay was dating Kira?" Cagalli asked a question she'd been wanting to for a while now. She had received some vague answers from Milly but oddly enough the other girl had seemed hesitant to talk on the subject.

"If that's what you want to call it," Athrun said before thinking better of it.

"What do you mean?"

"They weren't in any sort of serious relationship," Athrun turned them when the instructor shouted for them to, and sighed with relief when his feet went un-maimed. "They were actually rather…casual."

"Casual, huh?" Cagalli leaned forward a bit more and Athrun's arm wrapped tighter around her waist. "So, what you're telling me is they fooled around?"

Athrun blushed and then had no idea why. He'd certainly heard more of the gritty details from Kira himself. It had to be admitted that talking about it to Kira's sister was a little awkward.

"Yeah," Athrun finally said, eyes flicking over to where Kira and Lacus were doing their steps elegantly and on the proper counts "You could put it that way. It was before Kira and Lacus got together of course."

"Obviously," Cagalli snorted "I may not have known Kira that long but even I can see that the idea of adultery would probably send the guy into cardiac arrest."

Athrun grinned. Cagalli and sarcasm were an oddly attractive combination.

When Cagalli felt brave enough to, she pulled her eyes from her feet and looked up again. Athrun wasn't too much taller than her, and she was pretty much at chin level with him. Miriallia caught her gaze over Athrun's shoulder and winked at Cagalli.

Cagalli rolled her eyes and looked away from Milly. Now that the other woman had an idea about Cagalli's thoughts towards Athrun Milly was somewhat unbearably smug. Not to mention that Milly did not understand the idea of a subtle innuendo at _all_. Though, Cagalli was ready to chalk that fact up to more of Dearka's influence than anything else.

"Fllay and Kira weren't good together," Athrun spoke slowly. Cagalli watched his gaze drift away and stay resolutely to the side.

"It certainly sounds that way," Cagalli agreed. It wasn't something Athrun had to assure her of. She could tell a dysfunctional relationship when she needed to. She had certainly been in her fair share of them.

"I just mean," Athrun trailed off and let out a simultaneously self-deprecating and frustrated huff. "What I mean is, is that you can be sure that Kira and Lacus are good for one another. They're pretty much romantic royalty at this point."

"In love to an obnoxious extreme and absolutely made for one another?" Cagalli quipped. "I'd noticed that for myself."

"Yeah," Athrun's eyes flickered back to meet Cagalli's and he sort of smiled and shrugged at her, leaving it at that.

Cagalli pursed her lips "Athrun," she said, softer "You don't have to convince me that Lacus is good for Kira, alright? I can tell they're happy. You told me Kira's a good guy, and I think he is too. And I think Lacus is really sweet for the record."

"Sorry," Athrun smiled "Sometimes I'm over protective I suppose."

It was Cagalli's turn to shrug "That's not a bad thing."

The waltz sped up and for a moment it required all their concentration not to fumble the steps. The instructor had stopped giving half as many commands and was surveying the room with an approving eye.

"So," Athrun said once the dance had slowed once more "Do you have someone special back in ORB?"

Cagalli's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks went red, and she forgot to move a step so she ended up tripping Athrun. The two of them held onto each other, trying not to fall, and ended up having to lumber a couple steps sideways before they could regain their balance.

Their misstep hadn't gone unnoticed. The others were looking at them in varying degrees of subtlety; Dearka was grinning openly and broadly. Yzak looked as though he were trying hard to swallow a snide comment. Athrun avoided looking at the instructor. He and Cagalli hurried to fall back into step again.

"Well," Athrun said when they slipped back into the dance "This is going to be an interesting experiment when it comes to doing it at the wedding in gowns and tuxedos."

"Oh, shut up," Cagalli growled. Her face was hot, both from the personal question and the fumbled step.

Athrun laughed. "Just don't take out the photographer, or the wedding cake for that matter."

Cagalli clenched her jaw. "If I take anything out it's going to be you. I swear to Haumea I'm going to find a way to send you into a table or something before the reception is over."

Athrun just laughed again. The way he was smiling down at Cagalli was enough to make her avert her eyes. If there had ever been a stereotype for classically handsome she'd say Athrun Zala embodied it completely.

Kira gave her a sympathetic look the next time they faced each other and Cagalli gave a mock look of anguish in reply, failing to suppress grinning at her brother. When she met Athrun's gaze again it was still with a smile hanging at her lips. Cagalli vowed to get this dance right if it killed her. No way was she screwing up Kira's wedding.

Later, when the excruciating hour of dance class or as Cagalli had dubbed it—"The Great Spatial Challenge" was over, it was Cagalli and Athrun that the instructor roped into helping her put all the equipment back.

When Athrun had stowed the cart of music equipment into a closet and Cagalli had stacked demonstration videos back onto a shelf they ended up walking out together. The instructor turned the lights off behind them. Cagalli eyed the fresh inch of snow and tugged her scarf tighter around her.

She waved back to where Lacus was waving at them from Kira's car. Athrun's eyes were wide and twinkling when Cagalli covertly turned to look at him. She sighed and gathered her resolve.

"So, the answer was, uh, no," Cagalli said casually, fidgeting and pulling her keys out of her jacket pocket. "I don't have anyone that I'm seeing back in ORB. Not anymore."

"Oh," Athrun said softer, and then like he realized what she was saying "_Oh_, well. That's, uh, interesting."

"Interesting?" Cagalli snorted "You're an idiot, Zala. Top class."

Athrun grinned. He reached forward and jerked Cagalli's hat down and over her face just to aggravate her. "There's no class until Wednesday. What're your plans for tomorrow night?"

"Want to have dinner together tomorrow, Zala?" Cagalli said, smirking with complete aplomb.

"That's be great, Attha," Athrun replied, delighted.

"I'll get your number from Milly and txt you a time!" Cagalli hopped the last step and headed towards her rental.

"Okay," Athrun said, not bothering to care if she couldn't hear him.

X-_X-_X

Kira was staring in his rear view mirror in confusion.

"What's the matter?" laughed Lacus, turning in her seat to look behind them for the source of Kira's dour expression.

"It's just…" Kira trailed off when he waved distractedly to Dearka when he and Yzak drove out of the studio parking lot. It was astounding that the two men could share a car but had to have graphed charts to represent who got to drive it on what day and at what time.

"Doesn't that seem…odd?" 

"Odd?" Lacus parroted back, she turned her head and caught Dearka and Yzak's tail lights. "The guys?"

"No," Kira said, feeling uncertain. He jerked his thumb back towards the studio. He was watching Cagalli and Athrun talk; the both of them smiling wide.

Lacus looked where Kira was pointing and turned back to Kira with her eyebrow raised. "You're finding it odd that your best friend and your newly found sister are managing to get along with one another?" 

"It sounds ridiculous when you say it like that."

"It is ridiculous, Kira."

Feeling defeated Kira shifted the car into reverse and grudgingly smiled back when Lacus laughed at the expression on his face.

"I'm sure it's nothing you have to worry about," Lacus said. "Worry about making sure you arrive to your wedding on time this weekend."

Kira hooked their hands together before resettling his grip on the gear shift, but he didn't say anything. He was sending one last look Athrun's way, to where he was unlocking his own car, smiling broadly.

X-_X-_X

When Cagalli hadn't txted Athrun by mid-afternoon Athrun dropped by Kira and Lacus' apartment under the pretense of needing their tuxedos' order number and pick pocketed Kira's phone.

To be fair, Athrun technically pick pocketed Kira's jacket from where it was hanging by the door once Kira had disappeared into a backroom to find the right papers. Athrun was fairly thankful to a multitude of deities that Kira had taken the week off work to prepare for the wedding and the holiday, even if Lacus was still stuck down at city hall for work.

Athrun had Kira's phone safely tucked into the other man's jacket when Kira reappeared. When the other man handed him a post-it note with the order number written down Athrun only felt a small twinge of guilt. It was more about the idea of Kira ever finding out _why_ he had pick pocketed the phone rather than Kira finding out that Athrun had.

Though, Athrun was feeling paranoid enough that he jogged a couple of blocks, murmuring Cagalli's number under his breath to remember it, before he slowed to a walk and typed it in his phone.

After having wrote and deleted at least two versions of the same txt message Athrun sighed and flipped his phone closed. He hadn't ever felt this nervous about a girl before, and the last time he had felt this nervous period was when he and Kira broke into the Chemistry labs in college to rig magnesium pranks on a dare. Not their finest moment of academia.

By the time Athrun had made it back to the man street he was determined to duck into one of the cafés, grab a cappuccino, and txt Cagalli.

A voice that sounded suspiciously like Yzak scoffed at him in his head.

X-_X-_X

_**From: +44****7700912345**_

_Don't tell me you're still sleeping Attha_

Cagalli blinked, and then for good measure blinked again. "Who…?" she squinted at her mobile and sat up. She had still been, in fact, in bed. When Cagalli was more in charge of her faculties she sucked in a deep breath. She hoped it wasn't who she thought it was. She wasn't ready to hear from ORB yet.

_**To: +44**_******_7700912345_**

_Who is this?_

_**From: +44****7700912345**_

_Your sadly forgotten diner date_

Cagalli snorted and felt her stomach unknot. Definitely not ORB tracking her down to load her up with obligations again. She leaned back against her headboard, the wood rattling against the wall just a bit.

Cagalli's fingers paused where they were hovering over her phone's keypad. She smothered a smirk. It was barely three. Had she inadvertently made someone nervous? She saved Athrun's number before getting out of bed and replying.

_**To: Athrun**_

**_So sorry._**

**Cagalli slipped her phone into the pocket of her pajama pants and poked her head around the corner to see if Milly was about. She was.**

**"****Morning," Cagalli said, smiling a little wider than was strictly necessary.**

**"****Or afternoon," Milly's eyes didn't move from the email she was reading, "Depending on your point of view."**

Cagalli hummed a response and opened the fridge. By the time she had a glass tumbler of orange juice sat on the table and toast cooking Milly had shut her laptop and seemed to be more aware of what was happening around her.

"Plans today?' the brunette asked "You can come to a shoot with me if not."

"I might have some," Cagalli buttered her toast with a flourish. She didn't expand on the subject.

Milly didn't seem to cotton on to Cagalli's attitude though; she only began to discuss the usual meandering topics of daily life. They touched on the weather report before turning towards talk of the wedding and settling on an amusing anecdote that Dearka had apparently driven all the way to the apartment to tell to Milly that morning.

Cagalli spoke when necessary, laughed even when not necessary, and carried on with conversation as normal. Until she felt her phone vibrate in her dressing gown.

_**From: Athrun**_

_I can even tell just by reading that that you're far from sincere._

"What are you smiling about?" Milly asked loudly. Cagalli glanced up and grimaced at the way Miriallia was looking at her.

"Just a message," Cagalli tried to sound casual. She took another bite of her toast and asked a muffled "Why?"

"You're smiling wider than when you realized you passed microbio junior year."

Cagalli rolled her eyes.

"Who's the message from?"

Cagalli pocketed the phone immediately. "An acquaintance. Have you always been this nosy, or is this a Dearka trait you've picked up?"

It may very well have been a Dearka trait because Milly smiled in retaliation and carefully moved her laptop to the other end of the counter. Then she made a leap for Cagalli's dressing gown.

Cagalli squeaked in surprise before laughing as she slipped and slid her way out of the kitchen on her too long pajama bottoms, trying to avoid Miriallia's grabbing hands. The apartment wasn't that big though, and both of them ended up going sideways over the back of the couch, landing in a tangle of limbs.

"You're supposed to be the mature one!" Cagalli protested. Milly grinned, and then pinned Cagalli to the couch cushions with her knees. A few minutes of tugging, and liberal use of nail scratching later and Miriallia made a triumphant noise and brandished Cagalli's mobile in the air.

Cagalli stopped struggling. The fight was over and she knew exactly what was going to happen. The end result was easy. Milly was going to read her messages, get smug, and then tease Cagalli mercilessly. It honestly wasn't like it was something that hadn't happened before.

The phone chose that moment to buzz again, indicating another incoming message.

Milly flipped the phone over and stared at the view screen for a moment. "Cagalli!" she crowed "Incoming message from 'Athrun' huh?"

Cagalli tried to simple roll her eyes again, but Milly most definitely wasn't paying attention and the effect was ruined. She settled for scoffing as Miriallia flipped the phone open and read the message.

"Oh," Milly said finally, low and with much more emotion and much less teasing then Cagalli expected. Curiosity sparked, Cagalli leaned forward, fighting against Miriallia's knees and risking ripping her dressing robe to steal the phone. Milly gave up the phone willingly, moving back to brace herself against the arm of the couch.

Cagalli caught Miriallia's expression and paused at the soft smile that the other girl was wearing. She turned away from her and looked down at her phone.

_**From: Athrun**_

_Reservations for Angelo's at 8 Attha, don't be late_

Cagalli said "Good luck with your shoot, Mir," and got up off the couch. Avoiding the other woman's eyes she fought against the flush in her cheeks, and walked as quickly as she could back to the spare bedroom. She didn't realize she was nervous until she shut the bedroom door.

_**To: Athrun**_

_See you there, Zala_

X-_X-_X

"Athrun, seriously," Cagalli had to stop and hold her hand as hard as she could against her mouth to stop herself from laughing loudly. As it was they were already getting mildly inquisitive looks from their fellow diners. "You're getting butter on your elbow again."

"Damnit," Athrun leaned back in his chair, only for the fern next to their table to poke him in the eye. _Again_.

The night had not been going how Athrun had expected it.

When he'd made reservations he'd had to cajole the maître'd into putting his name down for a table. The restaurant was well known, and formal enough that it suited special occasions, but so close to the winter holidays it was packed even in the middle of the week.

They'd been sat at a table that was in a corner between an ostentatious floral arrangement and the kitchen doors, and unfortunately Athrun had been making a fool of himself since they sat down.

Cagalli let it out. She whooped with laughter and didn't bother to stop even as Athrun jerked upright to stare at her, finally succeeding in knocking the butter dish clean off the table.

"Yes, I can see the hilarity," Athrun leaned over stiffly grabbed at the dish he had knocked over. He raised an eyebrow and stared back at their closest neighbors until the couple finally looked away.

"Don't feel bad," Cagalli replied happily picking apart a piece of bread and taking a bite "I've always suspected that your suave exterior was all for show."

"Oh no, you've discovered my dastardly plan."

Cagalli snorted again, not even bothering to be embarrassed when she had to take a sip of water to stop from chocking.

"Dinner is supposed to be easy," Athrun bemoaned, remembering finally that he still had butter on his elbow. He grabbed up his napkin and dipped it in his water glass and dabbed it on his suit jacket. His suit jacket that he had paid forty creds to rush dry clean this afternoon.

"'Supposed to' being your operative phrase?"

"Two people and food. You pick up and you chew and you swallow," Athrun continued to grumble. When he looked up Cagalli was smiling broadly at him, and Athrun felt the nape of his neck go hot. She didn't look like she thought it was going terribly, she looked entertained actually.

"We don't have to eat here," Cagalli leaned back, crossing her arms "We can go someplace else. Someplace where the plants won't be tempted to attack you quite so viciously?"

Athrun sighed and as if the plant in question were proving Cagalli's point the kitchen doors flew open and caused the fern leaves to flap over his shoulder and against the side of his face.

"No really, Zala—you were totally a botanist in your passed life, right?"

"That's it," Athrun stood, and couldn't help grinning at Cagalli. He grabbed her arm and fished his wallet out of his pocket simultaneously. "Let's blow this joint."

Cagalli was ahead of him, and laying bills down on the table before he could open his wallet. She sighed "You need better colloquialisms, just so you know."

They ended up a couple streets down, getting tea rolls off a street vendor. Cagalli bit into her's happily. She could honestly say that this was the best night she'd had in a long time. If Athrun didn't look so self-deprecatingly dismayed she'd think he was being a goof on purpose. She smiled even wider when she thought about how hard he was trying.

Athrun made a point of paying, and then steered them towards a bench where at least they'd be out of the wind.

"Not the type of vacation you expected when you left ORB?" Athrun asked ruefully.

Cagalli shrugged "The inside of a volcano was looking better and better every day I stayed in ORB. Any place would be better than there for me."

"Oh yeah?" Athrun asked finally, casually "Why's that?"

Cagalli took another bite and furrowed her brows as if she were concentrating. Athrun didn't tell her that she didn't have to tell him because it honestly looked as though she were only trying to find the right words. He took a bite of his own food and waited.

"I have a government position in ORB," Cagalli looked at him from the corner of her eye, wondering how he'd take the statement.

"Um, cool?" Athrun ventured, grinning a little.

Cagalli laughed "Well, maybe for you."

There were a few moments of comfortable silence and then Cagalli began speaking.

"I work in the foreign affairs ministry," she said, resting back against the bench "There was a—incident—a couple months ago, and inquiries began going around the office. I knew who was at fault and they managed to convince me not to report them. Finally, when I did, it looked suspicious enough that they thought I might be at fault too."

"So what happened?" Athrun asked, honestly concerned. He hadn't realized that something so important in Cagalli's life had happened. Her language was chosen carefully as well, as if she wasn't certain how much she could tell him.

"The person responsible finally came clean," Cagalli chuckled "And he cried like a baby too. It was suggested afterwards that I take some time away from ORB for 'recuperation'."

Athrun whistled. "Look at you with all your government drama. Tell me, they've never considered giving you a weapon before have they? I might need to find Kevlar if they—,"

Cagalli punched him in the shoulder and Athrun broke off with an exclamation. But she was grinning, which had been Athrun's objective. "Jackass," she muttered.

"You'll go back after your vacation and show them all they were acting like fools," Athrun said, sounding all for the life of him like he was dead certain.

Cagalli stood and threw her garbage away, not necessarily certain how to respond to something like what Athrun had just said. It'd been a long time, since her father died, since someone had sounded like they had real faith in her.

Just the feeling that that sentence caused was worth her coming all the way from ORB. To think her country thought that she could use a restful vacation and she found her brother, a wedding, and a blue haired man named Athrun Zala. Not exactly restful, but relaxing all the same.

Athrun didn't stay seated. He rose, and threw his own garbage away, but that was really just a reason to get up and go stand by Cagalli. When he was close enough that the winter wind couldn't stir the air between them he smiled down at her.

"With everything that's happened to you here it certainly feels like you were meant to come to December City, Cagalli Yula Attha."

He was echoing Cagalli's thoughts, but she knew he meant Kira even though she was thinking about something different. Cagalli's hand rose to rest against Athrun's chest seemingly of its own accord. Cagalli breathed out.

"In your opinion," Athrun asked, reaching down and taking Cagalli's other hand in his own "Was this a successful dinner, Ms. Attha?"

"Fantastic," Cagalli may have aimed for sarcasm, but it came out startlingly sincere.

"I'm glad you're here, not just for Kira either."

The hand resting on his chest fisted in the lapel of his jacket and then Cagalli was dragging Athrun's face down to meet her own. Athrun sucked in a breath, just a second before their lips met.

When Athrun realized what was going on, he got with the program quick. One hand trailed over Cagalli's back and trailed up until it was resting on the side of her face, his other hand settled on her hip, to pull her closer.

Cagalli's eyes closed and she tugged on Athrun's bottom lip with her teeth, causing the other man to flush in a blush that Cagalli wasn't able to see. Athrun let his own eyes close and focused only on the feeling of Cagalli's heat pressed up against him, defiant to the chilly winter night.

It was long minutes before either one of them thought of pulling away. Athrun felt as if time has slowed down indeterminably, and Cagalli only remembered after a time that they were standing in the middle of a sidewalk. There was no one around to see them, though.

Athrun rested his forehead against Cagalli's and focused on the feeling of their breath mingling between them.

"Feel like walking a girl home, Zala?"

Athrun smiled. "I suppose."

Cagalli grabbed up his arm and pulled him in the other direction. "You just wait until dance class tomorrow; I'm going to step on every one of your toes."

"I look forward to it."

**X-_X-_X**

_**Oh God yeah, I'm horrible at updating.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Discern and Perceive**

**Chapter Seven**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"Were those Athrun's oh-so-manly tones I heard last night?"

Cagalli gave Milly an unimpressed look.

"You know we had dinner last night, don't try to be coy."

Milly grinned. Oh _boy_ did she know. Dearka had called three times to see if Athrun had ended up spending the night. He'd been disappointed when Milly has told him about how Cagalli had gone to bed alone the previous night.

"Can't blame me for wanting to hear about all the good bits of last night."

Cagalli scoffed and rolled her eyes, smiling. "You want to hear about how Athrun made an arch-nemesis out of a fern, or the loyal butter dish that kept coming to his rescue? Or how about when a waiter went through the kitchen doors hard enough to get marinara sauce on Athrun's jacket?"

Milly let out a startled laugh. "I can only imagine. That sounds ridiculous. Athrun must have been humiliated."

"He was a startling shade of fuchsia at one point."

"You seem like you had fun though," Milly slowed to a stop at the intersection and after letting a tan colored minivan crawl out in front of them she turned south to head towards the dance studio.

"It was fun." Cagalli said. After a moment she added "It was nice not to have to put up with pretentions all night."

"Must be a relief after…well—you know."

"After Yuuna?" Cagalli asked sarcastically. "Athrun and Yuuna couldn't be more different. It was such a relaxing night. No misconceptions, and with Athrun making a fool out of himself there was running entertainment."

Miriallia was silent, just for a moment. She wasn't sure just how much of what had gone on in Cagalli's life was her business, and from what she knew of what had happened in ORB to bring Cagalli to December City Milly could tell that a low stress night out with Athrun would be worth gold.

Cagalli slid her eyes over towards Milly, absentmindedly adjusting the heating vents. "You can ask. I promise only to get mildly upset."

"I just wondered if Yuuna had tried contacting you," Milly said honestly. "I know you've only been here a few days, but you said you weren't able to get away from anyone back home."

"No," said Cagalli. "I've been wondering when they'd all catch up with me, but the investigation committee hasn't contacted me, and Yuuna's been suspiciously silent."

"Good or bad?"

They pulled into the studio's parking lot. Dearka and Yzak's car was parked near the end of the lot and Athrun looked to be just getting out of him own. Cagalli smiled reflexively.

"I don't know," shrugged Cagalli. She sounded confident when she said, "And I don't care. It would be nice to know that everything that happened the last few months was over, but not having to deal with it is making staying here seem more real. Less anxiety, less stress, and significantly less morons."

"Well," Milly said dryly "Don't hold your breath on the last one."

Cagalli chuckled and got out of the car. "Hey, Zala! Hope you brought your A-game, you're going to need it!"

"I don't know about my A-game, but I figured steel-toes boots would help make it through a night of dancing with you."

Cagalli laughed freely, happy and rather carefree. Milly smiled and led the way inside.

X-_X-_X

After the requisite dance class that night Cagalli emerged from the studio and into the clear winter air feeling even more content. She was certain that she had the wedding waltz at least well enough that there wouldn't be any obvious mistakes during the Bride and Groom's first dance. Her feeling of contentment had soared when she and Athrun had spent the lesson comfortably exchanging lighthearted barbs.

"I guess I didn't need my steel toed boots after all," Athrun appeared behind her. From within the building Cagalli could hear the quiet tones of their friends exchanging small talk with their instructor.

Cagalli scoffs. "It's one dance; I think I'm competent enough to make my way through it."

"With a couple hundred eyes watching you and the entire thing being recorded?"

Cagalli pauses. "There's going to be a wedding video?"

Athrun nods, and is close enough to her that the movement brushes against Cagalli, ever so lightly.

Cagalli sighs. "Fantastic."

"You did do pretty well," Athrun says, keeping as much patronizing out of the sentence as is possible. "You deserve to give yourself a reward for it."

Cagalli puts an arm on her hip and pokes Athrun square in the chest. "Out with it wonderboy, what reward do I deserve to give myself."

"Come out for a drink with me," Athrun says, smiling widely.

"A drink," Cagalli asks, "where?"

"Just down to the pub," Athrun assures, "just the two of us, relaxing and celebrating never having to come to dance class again."

Cagalli nods and lets herself smile. "Sounds good."

"What's this?"

Cagalli jolts a little as Kira's voice breaks through their conversation, he and Lacus emerging from the studio's door, Miriallia and Dearka not far behind. Kira's hand lands on Athrun's shoulder, a friendly gesture but Cagalli notices Athrun wince.

"What's what?" Dearka asks.

"Athrun was just talking about taking a trip down to the pub," Kira explains, and Cagalli thinks he sounds a little too put on.

"A drink?" Dearka blinks, "hell yeah."

Yzak rolls his eyes "I'm designated driver then, unless…" He looks towards Milly hopefully but her flat look is enough to tell him that his hopes won't be granted fruition.

"That settles is!" Kira says hurriedly. "A _group_ night out."

Cagalli narrows her eyes. _No way._

Lacus hesitates, "Didn't you want to watch that period movie you were just talking about?"

Kira waves an arm a little too exuberantly. "But spending some time with everyone before the wedding is a great idea! Great idea, Athrun!"

"Yeah, I thought so myself," Athrun says dryly. "Who needs tomorrow's rehearsal dinner when we can all bond today?"

"Anyway," Kira hurries Lacus out towards the parking lot "meet you guys there in about a half hour? Yeah? Great."

Dearka looks suspiciously after Kira. "Am I missing something?"

Yzak smacks the back of Dearka's head. "You're too far behind to try and catch up now."

Cagalli sighs and turns to Athrun. "See you in a while then."

But he catches her hand and smiles warmly. "See you then."

X-_X-_X

"Cagalli," Kira says, patting the seat next to him. Nearly the farthest place from Athrun, coincidentally.

Cagalli shakes her head and sighs. She supposes this is what she gets for pursuing the sibling route.

"Will we see Shiho again before the dinner tomorrow? With all the excitement I'd hoped to have some time to catch up with her." Lacus asks Yzak politely.

"She's attending a lecture series on the uses of alternative therapy in psychiatry tomorrow," Yzak replied. "Since she's going to spend most of the day listening to men whose brains are less than puddles of mud I don't think we'll see her until Saturday morning."

Cagalli raises an eyebrow. Sometimes she thinks Yzak is a just friendly enough grump, other times a snob.

Kira leans over. "Both Shiho and Yzak are psychiatry candidates at the Clyne Institute for Modern Medicine. They practice different theories, and are often at odds."

"Shiho seemed nice though," Cagalli lets herself think back to the fitting room meeting with the brunette as she returns Kira's aside.

"She puts up with Yzak," Kira replies "She's not just nice, she's a saint."

"Mwu," Cagalli turns to look at Athrun for the first time since sitting down. He's just stood to greet the man that Cagalli has learned is the owner and usual bartender.

"Hi kids," Mwu is laid back with a sense of surety. Kira brightens when he sees him.

"Still coming on Saturday?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world kid, you're going to make a wonderful blushing bride. Lacus will be gorgeous too."

Kira reddens and Mwu laughs heartily and slaps Kira on the back.

Cagalli chuckles as well, the rest of the table catching on to play what Cagalli suspects is their usual game of teasing Kira. The sound draws Athrun's eye to her. Cagalli stills. Had Kira not butted in this would have been the first time that the two of them had had the opportunity to be alone since their dinner. Since their embrace.

Cagalli's eyes drop unwillingly to Athrun's mouth. A moment later Athrun's expression shifts and Cagalli can instinctively tell that Athrn's mind had followed her own. The two of them have a table between them but Cagalli was warming as if they were sitting close enough to touch.

"And who's this?"

Cagalli tears her eyes from Athrun to find that Mwu, and the rest of the table, are now focused on her.

"This is my sister, Cagalli," Kira hurries to introduce her. "Mwu La Flaga, meet Cagalli Yula Attha."

"I didn't know you had a sister! Secrets aren't like you, kid."

"It's sort of complicated," Kira admits sheepishly.

"Twins, separated at birth, adopted, then raised apart, never meeting, and then running into each other a week ago, it snowed some, then some more," Cagalli lists. "Besides that you're pretty much all caught up, Mr. La Flaga."

"Mwu's fine," Mwu says, his grin dimming in light of surprise. "And I think we have to catch up real soon, Kira."

Kira nods his head and laughs nervously. "We will, I promise."

"Great," the blond straightens and claps his hands together. "I'll tell Murrue."

Goodbye's and nice to see you's are exchanged around the table and Mwu departs, headed through the crowd and to the bar.

"I don't think your version of events would make an international best seller," Athrun comments dryly to Cagalli.

"I don't know," Yzak butts in, holding his head lazily in one hand "That speech was about at Dearka's reading level, easily comprehensible. It might make a good book for someone like him."

Dearka just groans. "Someone buy me a drink already will you? We have more important things to get on to."

"Like what?" Milly raises an eyebrow.

"Like the finishing touches for Kira's bachelor party."

The table erupts into chaos.

X-_X-_X

Cagalli smirks lazily, watching Kira's lethargic and drunken movements. If he wakes up with a hangover tomorrow she thinks it will be fair retribution for spoiling what would have been a potentially romantic night for her.

"Another round?" Dearka about roars, his arms flailing dangerously close to the pint glass tower he had made with the empty glasses scattered around the table.

"I don't think so," Kira says unsteadily. He had been doing calculus problems under his breath, seemingly to keep himself steady, but had apparently abandoned that tactic in lieu of trying to hold onto the table instead.

"Ten bucks if you can lay on the floor without holding on, Yamato," Yzak looks bored if anything, though Cagalli reckoned that he enjoyed everyone far more than he let on.

Kira shakes his head at Yzak, and leans into Lacus for support.

"Another round then," Athrun agrees, humming.

"My treat this time," Cagalli leverages herself up and around Athrun, whom she had eventually ended up sitting next to.

"I'll help you bring the drinks back," Athrun volunteers.

Mwu knows the tables' drinks and is already pouring Dearka's stout when they get to the bar. Cagalli smiles her thanks, and turns around to face Athrun. His arms slot easily around either side of her as he leans in towards the bar.

"I would have loved to simply spend some time with you tonight Cagalli," Athrun says, sincerely. Cagalli thinks he looks worried, and wonders what it says that none of the partners she'd ever been paired with in ORB had worried about not spending enough time with her.

"I don't think you have to look so scared, Zala. I would've liked to spend the night getting to know you as well, but I don't blame you for Kira." Cagalli smiles, "I think he's trying to make up for years of missed overly protective brother opportunities. I can't say, all things considered, that I mind too much."

"I can't imagine what it must be like," Athrun brushes his palm over her cheek simply for the feeling, "to find a sibling you knew nothing of, and be around all these people that you don't know that well."

Cagalli shrugs, while she doesn't normally enjoy the overly affectionate types, she doesn't brush Athrun off. He's warm and calm, and Cagalli doesn't think that's due to the alcohol. "I have a pretty good sense of people," she says instead "I think Kira's made a good home for himself, and Lacus is probably one of the most genuinely nice people I know. He'll be happy here. I'm happy for the first time in a while now, and I've not even been in December City a week."

"A wedding is hectic. If you feel overwhelmed let me know, and I'll make sure you get a breather."

Cagalli can't stop herself from grinning. "Sometimes, Zala, you're too good to be true. What a gentleman."

Athrun's forehead crinkles slightly, and he wonders if he's being made fun of.

Cagalli runs a hand up his neck and around to the base of his hair. "I'm not sure how long I'll be in December City, but if you're willing I'd like to spend some of that time with you. I don't need the 'get to know you' nonsense. I can tell you're a good person, and you don't know how much it would mean to me to just be able to get the chance to spend some time with some actually decent people."

Athrun drops a kiss to her lips, there in the pub with the possibility of anyone catching sight of it. He feels closer to her in that one minute than he would expect to feel only knowing her a few days. He puts her forehead against hers. "I'd love to keep you company, as long as you'll let me."

She smiles back, but then teasingly knocks their forehead, breaking the tone that had settled around them. "Careful, Athrun, back in ORB the papers used to call me cold blooded."

Athrun says "I don't believe them," and Cagalli turns around to pay Mwu when he's put the last pint in front of them.

"Yo," Dearka says when they arrive back at the table. "Officially, Kira's bachelor party is happening post-rehearsal dinner tomorrow. I have the perfect club in mind over past Quintilis City."

"Kira's too drunk to defend himself now," Yzak supplies.

"But it's happening," Dearka insists. "Are you in, Zala? Please don't leave me with just Kira and Yzak. You know Kira will just pine for Lacus and Yzak is _Yzak_."

"We'll see," Athrun responds diplomatically.

"That reminds me," Cagalli says, "When I was looking into coming here I found a mention of a ski lodge, I thought maybe Milly and I could treat you to a day out before the big rehearsal tomorrow, Lacus? If you're interested."

Lacus brightens "You must mean the one on Mount Hokusai, I haven't been there in a long time. It was so much fun when I used to go with my father."

"Milly?"

"Doesn't sound too bad," Milly agrees, "It might be nice to do something athletic before we're cramped and posing for pictures all weekend."

"So poetic, this girl of mine."

Milly elbows Dearka, "And it'll be nice to get away from this guy for a while."

Kira is looking nervously from one person at the table to the next. "Sounds like a bachelorette outing for you guys. Why don't we go too? Athrun, Yzak? Bachelor skiing instead? Much better than whatever trouble Dearka will get us into?"

Cagalli nudges Athrun and says "Put him out of his misery," in an undertone.

"It sounds perfect," Athrun agrees loudly over Dearka's protests. "Much more civilized."

"Civilized makes you sound like my grandpa, Zala. You people have no concept of fun."

"You have no concept of intelligence so let's call it even," Yzak drawls.

"You any good at skiing, Athrun?" Cagalli asks.

Athrun rises to the competitive bait. "You'll have to see if you can keep up with me."

Something under Cagalli's skin begins tingling and she sits back, satisfied. She smiles into her drink. December City is shaping up to be something special indeed.

X-_X-_X

Cagalli was out of breath and it felt terrific. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time. Long before she had accepted her posting in ORB, and maybe even a while before then.

"Not bad Cagalli," Kira yells, zipping past her and further down the mountainside. The siblings had been leading the charge up the mountain that morning, each feeding off the energy and excitement of the other.

"Beat you to the bottom, Yamato!" Cagalli shot off as fast as she could. She wasn't ashamed to say that she was laughing delightedly the entire time.

Above them, on the ridge, a majority of the rest of their party had gathered. Miriallia had returned to the lodge, set to spend what was left of their afternoon using some of her camera equipment that she had brought with her to catch some of the unique sights of the mountain.

"You have to admit," Athrun says aside to a still disappointed Dearka, "this isn't a bad bachelor party."

"The bride is not supposed to be at the bachelor party," Dearka says firmly. "Alcohol and loose morals are."

Athrun rolls his eyes and catches Lacus' elbow. "Walk you back to the lodge? I think I need a breather before we head back down the mountain for the dinner."

"Of course, Athrun," Lacus says softly, "it'll be nice to spend some time with my oldest friend."

"Save some of that emotion for your wedding tomorrow," Athrun teases.

"I'll save it for listening to the best man's speech," Lacus replies. "After all, your public speeches have always been so successful."

"That's one word for it," mutters Yzak.

"You think this marriage thing is going to go over well?" Dearka asks once Athrun and Lacus have disappeared in the direction of the ski lift. "Forever and ever, children, growing old together and all that jazz?"

"Lacus and Kira were made for it." Yzak says, for once not sneering about it. "If any marriage will be successful it will be there's."

"You think the rest of us might be made for it too?"

"I don't think you have to relegate marriage to a stereotype," Yzak sounds exasperated. "It's a piece of paper and a sharing of benefits. Marriage is whatever people choose to make it. If you're asking about whether I think _you_ are suited to marriage then maybe you should take your commitment issues, as well as that ring you've been carrying around, out of your pocket and hand them to Miriallia. You'll certainly find out then."

Dearka looks unsettled. He spends a moment worriedly wondering how Yzak found out, and then dismisses the notion as stupid. Yzak had been his best friend since they left country clubs and social galas behind and tried to make it on their own, so of course Yzak knew.

"I don't know if I can," Dearka confesses.

"What's so different about marriage," Yzak argues logically. "Besides cohabitation, nothing else about your relationship will change."

"You say that as if living with Milly would be something small. What about kids? What about my dad?"

"Your dad would be fine with Miriallia the first time she told him to back off and stood her own ground."

Dearka shrugs. He shifts his poles into the crook of his arms and adjusts his gloves distractedly.

"It might help," Yzak says, and this time it's easy to tell that the struggle to give only friendly advice and not sarcasm is hard, "If you finally decide what you want to do with that trust fund you've been living off. You seem to worry about a life where you and Milly are forced to be dependent, emotionally, on each other. Miriallia Haww is one of the most independent women I've ever met. It should be her that's worried about attaching herself to a slacker without a career or a real credit history."

"Blunt as always," Dearka sighs.

"But right," Yzak fires back, "Always right."

X-_X-_X

Athrun runs into Cagalli, literally head first, when he's taking the steps two at a time back down to the lodges common room. She's still brightly excited, and a little breathless.

"You weren't on the slopes much," she says by way of greeting. Her hand is on Athrun's arm from when it landed there in an attempt to steady herself. Athrun thinks that he can feel the warmth there more than normal.

"Not my favorite sport."

"And what is?" Cagalli's tone is unusually teasing. Snark and sarcasm are her usual weapons, but there's something a little different about the way she speaks to him now.

"Diving," Athrun answers her. His mind focused more on the space between them than the conversation "running, cycling, and hiking on occasion."

"Lame," Cagalli says instantly. "Where's the rush? I expected more from you, Zala."

Athrun goes to respond, and to take a step backwards to give them each a little space, but Cagalli is pulling him down to leverage herself up the next moment. Her lips are on his and he's surprised enough to make a noise into her mouth. She ignored him.

Athrun's responding almost without realizing it. Kissing her back and running a hand over her hip; it feels intimate. A voice in the back of his head is nervous, telling him that if Cagalli has returned that Kira must have, and the stairs aren't quite as private as they could be.

Cagalli takes a moment to breathe and she looks up at him. Athrun can't define the reaction he has just then. She's almost glowing. She's a tomboy with little to no social grace and a few too many rough edges to count but Athrun can't fathom having anyone else's arms around him. An uncanny feeling for a man that hadn't ever really believed in romance.

"Cagalli," he says her name just for the experience of it. He tilts her chin back up and captures her lips again. He finds he doesn't care much for who sees anymore. He's only had a few real days with her but it feels like so many more.

She breaks them apart, though her hands tighten on his arms at the same time. "I'm a liberal politician," she says as if telling a secret. "My job is to use a multilateral approach to ensure international relations are maintained and never broken. I'm a workaholic and if I could I'd sleep on the couch in my office. I have a complicated family life and I never really put much effort into my relationships. I'm a half step away from being caught up in a national scandal back in ORB, and I don't think I'd ever leave my country in any sort of permanent way.

Athrun understands what she's saying. "If you're a workaholic then I wonder what I am," he says. "I forget about the people around me from time to time and am hard pressed to make logical decisions separate from my personal ones. I have more obligations to my family and home than I thought I would at this stage in my life and I can't guarantee I have room for much else."

"I think you're alright, Zala," Cagalli says quickly. Her eyes harden, waiting for her response.

"And I think you're alright, Attha."

Cagalli breathes out, but they don't have much more time for words as a door slams shut above them and Miriallia comes into view rushing down the steps towards them.

"I'm not running late am I?" She asks, looking harried. "I took longer than I thought."

It takes Cagalli a moment but she gets with the program and smiles at her friend. "I'm just heading up to change now. Then I think we'll all be ready to head out."

"Good," Milly nods decisively and passes them to head down the rest of the stairs, her pace slower.

"Just the rehearsal dinner left," Cagalli says.

"And then a wedding."

Cagalli shoulders good naturedly past Athrun, heading up to change. "If I can survive it, you just might be able to."

Athrun's phone beeps and he takes it out of his pocket.

"Kira's just messaged me…" Athrun eyes read the sentence again, just finally understanding something no one had been talking about this week, and what it meant for Cagalli.

"Yeah?"

"Kira's parents were supposed to get in tomorrow morning before the wedding but they've arranged it so that they've arrived early. They'll be here in time to meet everyone at the rehearsal dinner."

Cagalli's hand stills on the stair rail.

**X-_X-_X**

**I'm a horrible updater and I know it.**


End file.
